Rev 08/30/2022
Second-stage juvenile
Meloidogyne floridensis was first found on Nemaguard, Nemared and Okinawa peach rootstocks in Gainesville, Florida in 1966. The rootstocks are resistant to M. incognita and M. javanica. The nematode was first assumed be a race of Meloidogyne incognita, but host range tests (Nyzcepir et al., 1998) suggested otherwise. Molecular studies confirm that M. floridensis differs from M. incognita and other root-knot nematodes (Handoo et al, 2004).
Esterase patterns of M. floridensis differed from all other root-knot nematodes tested (Handoo et al, 2004)
Reported median body size for this species (Length mm; width micrometers; weight micrograms) - Click:
Florida, USA. Recently found on "resistant" peach rootstocks in Merced and Kern Counties, California. Also on Thompson Seedless grape (personal communication John Chitambar CDFA, 2018). Also reported from Georgia and South Caroline in the USA.
Meloidogyne floridensis infests and reproduces on root knot nematode resistant Nemaguard, Nemared and Okinawa peach rootstocks. (Westphal et al., 2019). It has also been reported on Guardian peach roostock, also resistant to M. incognita and M. javanica, in South Carolina, USA ( Reighard et al., 2019).
A-rated, quarantined pest in California.
Sedentary endoparasite.
Feeding site establishment and development typical of genus.
Type Host: Peach (Prunus persica)
Nemaguard, Nemared and Okinawa peach rootstocks (Prunus persica), watermelon and tomato are hosts. Myrobalan plum and peppers are non-hosts (Handoo et al, 2004).
Ecophysiological Parameters:
Host Plant Resistance, Non-hosts and Crop Rotation alternatives:
Brito, J. A., Dickson, D. W., Kaur, R., Vau, S., and Stanley, J. D.. 2015. The peach root-knot nematode: Meloidogyne floridensis, and its potential impact for the peach industry in Florida. Nematology Circular 224: 7.
Handoo, Z.A., A.P. Nyczepir, D. Esmenjaud, J.G. van der Beek, P. Castagnone-Sereno, L.K. Carta, A.M. Skantar and J.A. Higgins, 2004. Morphological, molecular, and differential host characterization of Meloidogyne floridensis n.sp. (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae), a root-knot nematode parasitizing peach in Florida. J. Nematology 36:20-35.
Nyczepir, A.P., D. Esmenjaud and J.D. Eisenback. 1998. Pathogenicity of Meloidogyne sp. (FL isolate) on Prunuus in the southeastern United States and France. J. Nematology 30: 509.
Reighard, G.L., Henderson, W.G., Scott, S.O., Subbotin, S.A. 2019. First Report of the Root-Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne floridensis Infecting Guardian Peach Rootstock in South Carolina, USA. J. Nematology 51: DOI: 10.21307/jofnem-2019-061
Westphal,W., Zin T. Z. Maung, David A. Doll, Mohammad A. Yaghmour, John J. Chitambar, Sergei A. Subbotin. 2018. First Report of the Peach Root-Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne floridensis Infecting Almond on Root-Knot Nematode Resistant Hansen 536 and Bright's Hybrid 5 Rootstocks in California, USA. J. Nematology DOI: 10.21307/jofnem-2019-002