Abstract
Several cultivars of vinca (Catharanthus roseus), also known as Madagascar periwinkle, and salvia (Salvia spp.) were evaluated for their responses to an isolate of Meloidogyne incognita race 1 and to an isolate of M. javanica in separate tests conducted in a growth room. At >100 days after inoculation, vinca cv. Grape Cooler was nearly free of galling from both nematode species, but moderate to high numbers of very small galls were produced on the other vinca cultivars (Blush Cooler, Little Bright Eyes, Little Mixed Colors, Peppermint Cooler). Despite the presence of small galls, almost no viable eggs were produced on any vinca cultivar (<0.7 juveniles hatched per plant). Almost no galling was observed on the salvia cultivars Sea Breeze, Flare, Lady in Red, Victoria, and Bonfire, and juveniles hatched from eggs produced on these cultivars represented <3.5% of the initial inoculum. However, severe galling (4.5-5.0 on a 0-5 scale) occurred on salvia cv. Oxford Blue, and nematode population levels increased on this cultivar. In general, results with M. incognita and M. javanica were similar for all tested cultivars. With the exception of cv. Oxford Blue salvia, the relatively high levels of resistance observed in the other salvia and vinca cultivars suggest that they may have potential use in the design of landscapes compatible with these nematode populations.
