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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Fort Pierce, Florida » U.S. Horticultural Research Laboratory » Subtropical Plant Pathology Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #279274
Title: Grafting as a Production System Component for Nematode Management in Florida Vegetables

Author
item Burelle, Nancy
item Rosskopf, Erin
item Bausher, Michael
item McCollum, Thomas

Submitted to: Journal of Phytopathology
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/18/2012
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Trials in Florida evaluated grafting for control of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) in tomato, cantaloupe, and pepper. Pepper rootstocks assessed included ‘Charleston Hot’, ‘Carolina Wonder’, ‘Charleston Belle’, ‘Mississippi Nemaheart’, and ‘Carolina Cayenne’, which were resistant to galling. The non-grafted and self-grafted ‘Aristotle’ scion, and several other pepper rootstocks were susceptible. In inoculated microplot trials conducted with tomatoes, juveniles (J2) of M. incognita in soil were similar among all tomato rootstocks, but the number of J2 in roots was higher in non-grafted ‘FL-47’ than in any grafted rootstocks. In cantaloupe, Cucumis metuliferus rootstock reduced galling while ‘Tetsukabuto’ did not reduce galling or J2 in soil or roots. Grafted tomatoes and melons in a double-crop field trial showed that ‘FL-47’ tomato on ‘Multifort’ rootstock had the healthiest roots, but the number of M. incognita J2 recovered from roots was similar for all rootstocks. Galling was highest in non-fumigated plots with non-grafted plants. For melon, M. incognita J2 in soil did not differ, but J2 in roots were higher in ‘Tetsukabuto’ than in C. metuliferus. C. metuliferus had less galling following all tomato rootstocks and in all fumigant treatments compared with the non-grafted ‘Athena’ and ‘Tetsukabuto’. Grafting can provide some control of root-knot nematodes under subtropical conditions and can be combined with other soil treatments for more effective control.

Technical Abstract: Trials in Florida evaluated grafting for control of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) in tomato, cantaloupe, and pepper. Pepper rootstocks assessed included ‘Charleston Hot’, ‘Carolina Wonder’, ‘Charleston Belle’, ‘Mississippi Nemaheart’, and ‘Carolina Cayenne’, which were resistant to galling. The non-grafted and self-grafted ‘Aristotle’ scion, and several other pepper rootstocks were susceptible. In inoculated microplot trials conducted with tomatoes, juveniles (J2) of M. incognita in soil were similar among all tomato rootstocks, but the number of J2 in roots was higher in non-grafted ‘FL-47’ than in any grafted rootstocks. In cantaloupe, Cucumis metuliferus rootstock reduced galling while ‘Tetsukabuto’ did not reduce galling or J2 in soil or roots. Grafted tomatoes and melons in a double-crop field trial showed that ‘FL-47’ tomato on ‘Multifort’ rootstock had the healthiest roots, but the number of M. incognita J2 recovered from roots was similar for all rootstocks. Galling was highest in non-fumigated plots with non-grafted plants. For melon, M. incognita J2 in soil did not differ, but J2 in roots were higher in ‘Tetsukabuto’ than in C. metuliferus. C. metuliferus had less galling following all tomato rootstocks and in all fumigant treatments compared with the non-grafted ‘Athena’ and ‘Tetsukabuto’. Grafting can provide some control of root-knot nematodes under subtropical conditions and can be combined with other soil treatments for more effective control.