Pathogenicity of Meloidogyne spp. (Tylenchida: Meloidogynidae) isolates from Central Ameria and Brazil on four genotypes of Coffea arabica
Fifteen isolates of Meloidogyne spp. collected from coffee plantations in every country in Central America, with one isolate from Brazil, were inoculated on two common cultivars (Catuai and Sarchimor) and two wild genotypes from Ethiopia (ET15 and ET28) of coffee (Coffea arabica) under controlled conditions. These isolates displayed a wide range of pathogenicity on the different varieties. Meloidogyne sp. 2 isolate esterase 'VS1S1' from Guatemala, was unable to multiply on any cultivar. All other isolates multiplied on cv. Catuai. The Meloidogyne incognita isolate from Brazil did not multiply on cv. Sarchimor or genotype ET28. Four Meloidogyne sp. 1 (esterase 'F1') isolates from Guatemala multiplied at relatively low rates on cv. Sarchimor, but did not multiply on genotypes ET15 and ET28. Meloidogyne arenaria and Meloidogyne sp. 3 (displaying the new esterase phenotype 'M1F1a'), both from E1 Salvador, multiplied at a high rate on cv. Sarchimor; M. arenaria multiplied at a low rate on genotype ET15, but did not multiply on genotype ET28. Meloidogyne sp. 3 multiplied at a low rate on genotype ET28. Meloidogyne sp. 4 from E1 Salvador (esterase 'Sa4') multiplied at a high rate on genotype ET15. The M. arabicida isolate from Costa Rica did not multiply at all on genotype ET15. All isolates of Meloidogyne exigua multiplied on cv. Sarchimor as well as on both Ethiopian genotypes. This new information highlights the great parasitic diversity of root-knot nematodes parasitising coffee in Central America, a diversity which must be taken into account when developing integrated pest management strategies and breeding for resistance to nematodes.