Improved methodology for the efficient isolation of viable Meloidogyne incognita eggs

Eggs represent a crucial life stage for Meloidogyne incognita, and viable eggs are frequently employed in nematode research. The common issue currently encountered with established technologies is that higher concentrations of sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) result in irreversible damage to M. incognita eggs. Therefore, developing a novel method to avoid such a problem is highly important. In this study, the fresh roots of infected cucumber plants were prestored in plastic bags at 28 °C, after which M. incognita egg masses were collected from these root samples. Egg masses from roots prestored for more than 48 h could be efficiently disassociated with a low concentration (0.3%) of NaOCl in a short period of time (2 min), representing an innovative new method. Moreover, the hatchability of the harvested M. incognita eggs was maximized in this work. Additionally, if the treatment time was extended beyond 5 min, 0.3% NaOCl affected larval hatching irreversibly. Overall, these findings indicate that prestorage of infected roots in plastic bags enables the application of lower concentrations of NaOCl in M. incognita egg extraction.