Do the stage of plant and initial population of root knot nematode influence on sweet pepper development?

The aim of this study was to investigate the response of three different stages (one, three and five leaf pairs) of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum cv. Orazio) seedlings to five inoculation levels of Meloidogyne enterolobii (zero (control), 300, 1000, 3000 and 10000) under greenhouse conditions. Each plant was cultivated in one pot filled with 3.8 L of substrate. The test was a completely randomized design with four replications. The plants were assessed 60 days after inoculation, plant shoot weight, final population of nematodes, and reproduction factor were measured. The results were fitted to Seinhorst model: Y = m + (1-m). ZPi –T. The results showed a tolerance limit (T) of 2,500 nematodes for plants with one and three leaf pair, and 8,500 nematodes for the five-leaf pair plant.