EVALUATION OF THE SUSCEPTIBILITY OF Calotropis procera TO PARASITISM OF Meloidogyne incognita RACE 2

Abstract

The species of the genus Meloidogyne constitute the most prominent group of nematodes for seriously affecting the production of several economically important plant species. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the susceptibility of Calotropis procera to parasitism by M. incognita race 2. Calotropis procera seedlings, produced in a greenhouse, were inoculated with 5,000 eggs of M. incognita race 2, and 60 days after inoculation from the root system of these plants were evaluated: number of eggs (NE), number of galls (NG) and number of egg masses (NEM). And the variables evaluated to determine susceptibility were: gall index (IG), egg mass index (IMO) and reproduction factor (FR). Based on the means of the IG (3.95), IMO (3.0) and the FR (0.53) obtained, the specie C. procera was considered very resistant to the parasitism of M. incognita race 2.