Aphelenchoides besseyi causing leaf spot on cowpea under field conditions in Brazil

Abstract

Aphelenchoides besseyi was detected as the causal agent of foliar dark spots on cowpea plants growing in the field, and its pathogenicity was confirmed. The identity of the nematode was determined through morphological, morphometric, and molecular characterization, using species-specific primers Abess_11F/Abess_11R targeting 28S rDNA, which amplified a fragment of 570 bp. This is the first report of A. besseyi parasitizing cowpea under field conditions in Brazil.