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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Protection and Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #163846
Title: TOLERANCE TO THE SOUTHERN ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE IN COMMERCIAL COTTON CULTIVARS

Author
item Davis, Richard
item MAY, LLOYD - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

Submitted to: Cotton Research and Extension Report
Publication Type: Experiment Station
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/3/2004
Publication Date: 5/15/2004
Citation: Davis, R.F., May, L. 2004. Tolerance to the southern root-knot nematode in commercial cotton cultivars. 2003 University of Georgia Cotton Research and Extension Report. pp.255-257.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The southern root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, causes significant yield reductions throughout the U.S. cotton belt. The term resistant means that nematode reproduction is inhibited relative to a susceptible standard, whereas tolerance means that crop growth and yield are affected relatively little by nematode parasitism. Virtually all cotton cultivars on the market are susceptible to the southern root-knot nematode, but their tolerance is not known. We measured the amount of yield suppression caused by root-knot nematodes in 12 high-yielding, high-quality cotton cultivars. Yield suppression in the cultivars tested ranged from 8.5 % to 35.7 %. It was anticipated that the pounds lost per acre would increase as yield potential increased but the percentage yield loss would be similar among the cultivars. However, the percentage yield loss differed among the cultivars. Cultivars with higher yield potentials also had greater percentage yield loss to root-knot nematodes. Based on this data, it appears that nematode management may be of greater importance in cultivars with higher yield potentials.