Resistance of Commercial Pepper Cultivars to Root-knot Nematodes

Abstract

Ninety two pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivars were screened for resistance to two common species of root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne incognita and M. arenaria. All 92 pepper cultivars were resistant to M. arenaria (0−3 eggmass/plant) but were susceptible to M. incognita (76−678 eggmass/plant). Susceptibility to M. incognita were slightly differed; 'Geomok' and 'Shintaepung' had relatively less eggmass (<100 eggmass/ plant) when compared to those 29 very susceptible culivars such as 'Bulggotcheoreum' (>300 eggmass/plant). Therefore, pepper is highly recommended as a high-valued rotation crop to only those greenhouses infested with M. arenaria, but should restrict for M. incognita.