HOST SUITABILITY OF IXORA SPP FOR THE ROOT-KNOT NEMATODES MELOIDOGYNE-INCOGNITA RACE-1 AND MELOIDOGYNE-JAVA']JAVANICA

Eight commonly cultivated Ixora species or cultivars were tested for their suitability as hosts and their level of tolerance to Meloidogyne incognita race 1 and M. javanica in a greenhouse study. Twenty weeks postinoculation with 5,000 eggs per pot, M. incognita race 1 and M. javanica produced galls and formed egg masses on roots of all eight Ixora species or cultivars tested. However, only M. javanica-infected 'Petite Yellow' and 'Maui' had decreases (P less-than-or-equal-to 0.05) in root wet weights, suggesting that the other cultivars were more tolerant to these root-knot nematode species. Differential host suitability to each Meloidogyne species was based on the relative number of galls, galls per gram root weight, egg masses, and second-stage juveniles produced per plant. 'Bonnie Lynn,' 'Maui,' and 'Petite Red' were good to excellent hosts for both Meloidogyne spp. Ixora coccinea was a good host forM. incognita race 1 but less suitable for M. javanica.'Singapore' and 'Petite Yellow' were poor hosts forM. incognita race 1 but excellent hosts for M. javanica. 'Nora Grant' and I. casei 'Super King' were poor hosts for both species of root-knot nematodes.