Reaction of olive cultivars to Meloidogyne species

Seven olive cultivars and one rootstock were tested in a glasshouse experiment for their reaction to Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica. Potted soil was artificially infested with 12 eggs and juveniles/cm3 soil of either nematode species. Cultivar Coratina was resistant to M. incognita and M. javanica and cv. Leccino was resistant to M. javanica and moderately susceptible to M. incognita. Cultivar Cima di Bitonto was moderately susceptible to M. incognita and highly susceptible to M. javanica and cultivar Cellina di Nardò was susceptible to both nematodes, as cultivars Frantoio and FS17 and the rootstock DA 12 I were moderately susceptible. Cultivar Yusti, which had the least developed root system of all those tested, was moderately susceptible to M. incognita and moderately resistant to M. javanica.