The root-lesion nematodes are important pests attacking stone and pome fruit crops throughout the world. They play an important role in the development of orchard replant problems. Host resistance to Pratylenchus vutnus, the nematode of concern in mediterranean environments, has been difficult to find, and even more, to transmit into commercial rootstocks. Alternative management measures using early mycorrhizal infection that would confer protection against the nematode at a stage when plants are most vulnerable are currently being explored. These measures are considered important, taking into account a widespread change towards production systems that use in vitro material propagated in treated substrates free of mycorrhizal and other beneficial microorganisms. The prophylactic effect against root-lesion nematodes would be linked to mycorrhizal dependency of the host plant. Increase in tolerance would seem to be related to mycorrhiza assisted nutrition rather than to a direct suppressive effect of AM over the root-lesion nematode. In Citrus, Prunus, Malus and Cydonia rootstocks, the nematode has shown to have a negative effect over AM colonization in the root.

The effects of arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM) on the development and nutrition of the peach almond hybrid GF-677 rootstock in a replant soil heavily infested with Meloidogyne javanica were evaluated in field microplot conditions for two growing seasons. There was a significant beneficial effect of mycorrhizal inoculation on plant growth and nutrition in previously pasteurized replant soil. In natural replant soil, early inoculation with a mixed AM inoculum of Glomus intraradices, Glomus mosseae and Glomus etunicatum did not affect growth parameters. Whilst inoculation with these AM fungi led to suppression of root-knot nematode reproduction, natural mycorrhizal colonization of the replant soil with native AM fungi did not.

The effects of the interaction between Pratylenchus vulnus and the endomycorrhizal fungus Glomus intraradices on growth and nutrition of Santa Lucia 64 cherry rootstock was studied under microplot conditions during one growing season. Fresh top weight, and stem diameter of mycorrhizal plants and high P treatments with and without P vulnus were significantly higher than those of non-mycorrhizal plants. The lowest shoot length and fresh root weights were recorded in nematode inoculated plants in low P soil. Mycorrhizal infection did not affect the number of nematodes per gram of root in plants infected with P vulnus. In the presence of the nematode, internal spore production by G. intraradices was significantly reduced. No nutrient deficiencies were detected through foliar analysis, although low levels of Ca, Mn and Fe were detected in nematode treatments. Mycorrhizal plants achieved the highest values for N, P, S, Fe, and Zn, whereas high P treatments increased absorption of Ca and Mn. Early mycorrhizal infection of Santa Lucia 64 cherry rootstock by G. intraradices confers increased growth capacity in the presence of P vulnus.

The beneficial effects of early mycorrhizal inoculation with two arbuscular fungi, Glomus mosseae (Nicol. and Gerd.) Gerd. and Trappe and Glomus intraradices Schenck and Smith, were evaluated on Myrobalan 29 C (Prunus cerasifera × Prunus munsoniana Wight and Edr.) plum rootstock in soil infested or noninfested with the root lesion nematode Pratylenchus vulnus Allen and Jensen under microplot conditions. During this two year study, mycorrhizal colonization did not affect the number of nematodes per gram of root in plants infected with P. vulnus. In contrast, P. vulnus significantly decreased the percentage of mycorrhizal root colonization. Most elements were within sufficiency levels for plum by foliar analysis, although low P and deficient Fe and Cu levels were detected in P. vulnus treatments. Early mycorrhizal inoculation with G. mosseae favored plant growth after 20 months, but in soils infested by P. vulnus, only G. intraradices increased the tolerance of Myrobalan 29 C plum rootstock to damaging nematode levels by stimulating plant nutrition and vegetative growth.

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