Rev 10/24/2023
Holo- and paratypes of Meloidogyne mayaguensis Rammah & Hirschmann, 1988 and M. enterolobii Yang & Eisenback, 1983 were compared morphometrically and morphologically. All female, male and second-stage juvenile morphometrical and morphological characters are identical for the two species. Meloidogyne mayaguensis is confirmed as a junior synonym for M. enterolobii (Karssen et al., 2012).
Review general characteristics of the genus Meloidogyne.
Reported median body size for this species (Length mm; width micrometers; weight micrograms) - Click:
Second-stage juvenile
Primarily tropical areas of the world, including Brazil, Mexico, Malawi, South Africa, and West Africa (Senegal, Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso). China, Vietnam, Florida, Central and South America, France, and Switzerland. Widely distributed in the Caribbean islands, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, Tobago, Trinidad, Guadeloupe and Martinique. According to Collett et al (2021), by April 2020 the nematode had been reported from all continents except Australia and Antarctica. Recently detected in Australia.
Reported from cotton and soybean in the United States (Ye et al., 2013)
M. enterolobii was first described from roots of pacara earpod trees (Enterolobium contortisiliquum) on Hainan Island in China. A few years after the description of M. enterolobii, M. mayaguensis was described from eggplant in Puerto Rico. Morphometric and molecular analysesd support the designation of M. mayaguensis as a junior synonym of M. enterolobii (Elling, 2013; Karssen, 2012).
Regulatory agencies of several countries have designated M. enterolobii as a quarantine pathogen (Elling, 2013).
Populations of Meloidogyne enterolobii are able to overcome resistance of the Mi gene in tomato cv. Rossol, soybean cv. Forrest, and sweet potato are reported in West Africa. Further, it is reported as a significant problem for tomato production due to its high virulence and ability to overcome resistance provided by the Mi-1 gene (Carneiro et al., 2007).
Damages coffee in Cuba where it also reproduces on tomatoes with the Mi resistance gene.
It is considered the most important problem in guava production in Brazil where it infests over 5,000 ha or about a third of the production area (Elling, 2013).
Sedentary endoparasite.
Feeding site establishment and development typical of genus.
Type host:: pacara earpod trees (Enterolobium contortisiliquum) .
Meloidogyne enterolobii has a very wide host range comparable to that of M. incognita. It includes vegetables, guava, acerola, ornamentals, and weeds. Eggplant (Solanum melongena) was the host, first reported for M. (mayaguensis) enterolobii in Puerto Rico. Other recorded hosts include bell pepper (Capsicum annuum), soybean (Glycine max), sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas), tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum), tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus), coffee (Coffea arabica), bean (Phaseolus vulgaris), beet (Beta vulgaris), broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. Botrytis), celery (Apium graveolens), horsebean (Cannavalia ensiformis), parsley (Petroselynum crispum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), and pumpkin (Cucurbita sp.).
Guava (Psidium guajava) is also a good host and the nematode has been found on other tropical fruit trees (Annona sp., Pouteria sapota, Euphorbia longana, Chrysophyllum cainito).
Spanish needle (Bidens pilosa) is a weed host.
In Florida, M. enterolobii has been found associated with ornamentals, of angel trumpet (Brugmansia 'Sunray'), cape honeysuckle (Tecomaria capensis), glory bush (Tibouchina elegans), ajuga, carpet bugleweed (Ajuga reptans), and Uganda gloryflower (Clerodendrum ugandense). Also, Thunbergia spp., Tithonia spp., Torenia spp., Trachelospermum spp. and Hibiscus sp.
Ecophysiological Parameters:
Chromosome number 2n=44-46. The large number, and variability of chromosome number,are typical of species reproducing by obligate mitotic parthenogenesis. (Rammah and Hirschman, 1988; Subbotin et al., 2021).
Above-ground symptoms include yellowing and stunting; roots have large galls.
In guava decline in Brazil, M. enterolobii interacts synergistically with Fusarium solani. The fungus does not cause root-rot unless it is in a disease complex with M. enterolobii (Elling, 2013).
Resistant cultivars and resistance induction may be alternatives to keeping populations of M. enterolobii at levels that do not cause economic damage. Resistance inducers Bacillus subtilis, B. licheniformis + B. subtilis + Trichoderma longibrachiatum and extract of Reynoutria sachalinensis did not enhance resistance of tomato genotypes, however, ASM (Acibenzolar-S-methyl), an analog of salicylic acid, reduced reproduction of M. enterolobii to the tomato genotype PXT 408� (de Silva et al., 2020).
Host Plant Resistance, Non-hosts and Crop Rotation alternatives:
Australasian Plant Pathology Society Factsheets on Plant-parasitic Nematodes (Prepared by Dr. Graham R. Stirling)
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Brito, J., R. Inserra, P. Lehman and W. Dixon. 2002. The root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne mayaguensis Rammah and Hirschmann, 1988 (Nematoda: Tylenchida). http://doacs.state.fl.us/~pi/enpp/nema/m-ayaguensis.html.
CAB International. 2001. Meloidogyne mayaguensis in Crop protection compendium, global module, 3rd edition. Wallingford, UK: CAB International.
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Carneiro, R.M.D.G., Cirotto, P.A., Silva, D.B. & Carneiro, R.G. 2007. Resistance to Meloidogyne mayaguensis in Psidium spp. accessions and their grafting compatibility with P. guajava cv. Paluma. Fitopatologia Brasileira 32, 281-284. DOI: 10.1590/S0100-41582007000400001
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de Silva, J.O., M.V. Santana, F.A. Carneiro and M.R. da Rocha. 2020. Reaction of tomato genotypes to Meloidogyne enterolobii and effects of resistance inducing products. Nematology 22:213-220.
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Subbotin, S.A. Palomares-Rius, J.E., Castillo, P. 2021. Systematics of Root-knot Nematodes (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae). Nematology Monographs and Perspectives Vol 14: D.J. Hunt and R.N. Perry (eds) Brill, Leiden, The Netherlands 857p.
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Triantaphyllou, A.C. 1985. Cytogenetics, cytotaxonomy and phylogeny of root-knot nematodes. In Sasser, J.N. & Carter, C.C. (eds) An Advanced Treatiswe on Meloidogyne.Vol 1. Biology and Control.N.C. State Universty Graphics, Raleigh, N.C. USA.
Willers, P. 1997. First record of Meloidogyne mayaguensis Rammah & Hirschmann, 1988: Heteroderidae on commercial crops in the Mpumalanga province, South Africa. Inligtingsbulletin - Instituut vir Tropiese en Subtropiese Gewasse 294: 19-20.
Ye, W.M., S. R. Koenning, K. Zhuo & J. L. Liao. 2013. Plant Disease 97:1262.2