Response of tomato cultivars to different inoculum concentration of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita, Kafoid & White, 1919)

English

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of different inoculum concentrations of Meloidogyne incognita on 10 elite tomato cultivars. The trial was carried out in pots at s the Experimental Farm of the University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana, during the 1997 farming season. The root-knot nematode significantly (P 0.05) affected plant height, fresh root length, fresh root weight, and fresh shoot of all cultivars tested. Like other parameters, number of flowers, fruit nulnber, and fruit weight were also reauced significantly (P 0.05) by the nematodes, especially at the highest inoculum density. Cultivars such as Manso 2D, Manso 1B, Laurano, and Anecho whose morphological characters as well as yield were severely affected, were the most susceptible. On the contrary, Fadebegye, Awisa 2E, NR 44, and Wosowoso were tolerant because of their capability to maintain adequate growth parameters, leading to relatively smaller reduction in yield. Yield was highly significant but negatively correlated with root galling. R2 % values of root galling, fresh root length, fresh shoot weight, and plant height were highly significant. However, the correlations between yield and nurnber of flowers per plant, fresh root weight indicate a very low and nonsignificant R2 % values. These provided evidence that root galling was detrimental to yield in these cultivars.

Opoku-Asiama, Y.; Yeboah, M. A.