Response of wild and cultivated potato clones to italian populations of root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp.

The reaction of potato clones of Solanum acaule , S. bulbocastanum , S. canasense, S. cardiophyllum, S. chacoense, S. commersonii, S. tuberosum, S. fendleri, S. tarijense, S. tuberosum and S. tuberosum × S. phureja to Italian populations of Meloidogyne arenaria , M. hapla, M. incognita and M. javanica was evaluated in a glasshouse. Five seedlings of each clone were transplanted into trays filled with steam sterilized sandy soil and inoculated with 10,000 eggs of each nematode species per plant. One clone each of S. chacoense and S. tuberosum were resistant to all Meloidogyne spp. tested. One clone each of S. commersonii, S. tarijense and S. tuberosum were resistant only to M. javanica . The remaining clones were susceptible to all four species of root knot nematodes. The potential of resistant genotypes in potato breeding is discussed.