Host range and parasitizing ability of the obligate bacterial parasite, Pasteuria penetrans on different populations of the root - knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita
Swarna Kumari, N.; Sivakumar, C.
Journal of Ecobiology ; 18(3): 225-228
2006
ISSN/ISBN: 0970-9037 Accession: 022776238
An isolate of obligate bacterial parasite, Pasteuria penetrans was obtained from infected adult females of the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita (Race 3). The host range of this bacteria was studied on M. incognita, M. hapla, M. javanica, M. arenaria, Globodera rostochiensis, Heterodera cajani, Rotylenchulus reniformis and Tylenchulus semipenetrans under laboratory conditions. The result showed that the spores of P. penetrans did not infect any of the above mentioned nematodes expect M. incognita from where it was originally isolated. This isolate was highly host specific. The parasitizing ability of this isolate on nine different populations of M. incognita viz., Namakkal, Nilgris, Coimbatore, Erode, Salem, Theni, Madurai, Krishnagiri and Oddanchathiram were tested. The percent parasitization was high on Coimbatore population (95.5%) and very low on Oddanchathiram population (69.5%). The number of spores encumbered was higher on Coimbatore population (22 spores/ second stage juvenile) compared to Oddanchathiram population (5.2 spores/ second stage juvenile).