The Species and Population Densities of Root-Knot Nematodes, Meloidogyne spp. (Tylenchida: Heteroderidae) in Grafted and Non-grafted Tomatoes in Greenhouses in Antalya

Root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp. (Tylenchida: Heteroderidae) is a major problem in the world as well as in Turkey. The control of these soil-borne nematodes is very difficult and costly. One of the methods of controlling with this nematode is using grafted seedlings. In regions where greenhouse cultivation, soil and root samples were taken in numbers to represent the greenhouse during the removal of plants after harvest in 2019 - 2020. As a result of the study, infection rates in grafted and non-grafted tomato plants were determined as 16,98% (n=106) and 63,56% (n=129). In these samples, only Meloidogyne incognita (Kafoid and White) (Tylenchida: Heteroderidae) species was found in the roots of grafted tomato plants in both years. Both M. incognita and Meloidogyne javanica (Treub) (Tylenchida: Heteroderidae) species were detected in the roots of non-grafted tomato plants. As a result of the counts of the second stage larvae in the study, the mean of population density per 100 gram soil taken from the grafted tomato plants was 132,22 ± 55,78 (between 100 and 300 ) nematodes, while the mean of population density in soil taken from non-grafted tomato plants was 1272,92 ± 1683,27 (between 100 and 11000 ) nematodes. In addition, when the nematode population densities in soils belong to non-grafted tomato plants in 2019-2020 were examined according to the nematode species, the population density of M. incognita was recorded as 1252,13 ± 1910,56 (between 100 and 11000) ) nematodes and the population density of M. javanica as 1333,33 ± 720,64 (between 300 and 4000) nematodes.