CULTURE OF MELOIDOGYNE-INCOGNITA ON ORIENTAL-MELON ROOTS GENETICALLY TRANSFORMED BY AGROBACTERIUM RHIZOGENES

The root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita, was cultured monoxenically on oriental-melon (Cucumis melo L.) roots transformed by Agrobacterium rhizogenes at various temperatures. The developmental zero degree of the nematode was 10.9-degrees-C. The day-degrees for the onset of oviposition were 293, and 473 for completing one generation after inoculation with 2nd-stage juveniles. There were no significant differences in the dimensions of eggs and pre-parasitic 2nd-stage juveniles between transformed roots and intact plant roots, although a slight temperature-dependency was seen in body length, tail length, and the a-avalue of juveniles. Regarding the infectivity on six differential host plants, juveniles produced on transformed roots were the same as those produced on intact host plant roots. These results suggest that the transformed root system is appropriate for culture of root-knot nematodes under sterile conditions.