Brito, J. A., J. D. Stanley, M. L. Mendes, R. Cetintas, and D. W. Dickson. 2007. Host status of selected cultivated plants to Meloidogyne mayaguensis in Florida. Nematropica 37:65-71. In 2001, Meloidogyne mayaguensis was found for the first time in Florida, where it occurs in 14 counties. In Florida, this root-knot nematode has been found infecting many ornamental plants and has shown the ability to reproduce on plants carrying genes that confer resistance to other root-knot nematode species such as the Mi-1 gene in tomato and the N gene in bell pepper. The reproductive potential and host preference of one M. mayaguensis isolate from Florida were assessed in two host range studies carried out in a greenhouse. Fourteen cultivated plants were used in this study. Each plant was inoculated with 5000 eggs. Tomato Rutgers was used as a control for inoculum viability. Good hosts for M. mayaguensis were broccoli Waltham, cabbage Early Jersey, cowpea Iron Clay, eggplant Black Beauty, horse bean, mustard Florida Broad Leaf, okra Clemson Spineless, sweet basil, watermelon Crimson Sweet, yellow squash Crook Neck and zucchini. Cowpea Iron Clay, which is resistant to three root-knot nematode species, was heavily infected by M. mayaguensis. Overall gall and egg mass indices for good hosts ranged from 2.8 to 5.0 and 3.3 to 5.0, respectively. Two carrot cultivars (Royal Chantenay and Imperator) and collard sustained very little or no nematode reproduction.
