Identification of the Root-knot nematode species (Meloidogyne spp.) (Nemata: Meloidogynidae) collected from different parts of Turkey by moleculer and morphological methods

The objective of this study was to identify the root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne spp) samples, by molecular and morphological methods that have been collected from different regions of Turkey. The seventy-nine root-knot nematode samples were first homogenized by inoculating susceptible tomato cultivar 'Simita F1' with single egg masses. Then, second stage larvae obtained from homogenized-egg masses were used for DNA isolation. The molecular identification of the samples were conducted with species-specific SCAR (sequence characterized amplified region) and PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism) markers The morphological identification of the samples were carried out using dissected-fixed vulva of female and second stage larvae collected from susceptible tomatoes (homogenized samples) Results showed that four root-knot nematode species, Meloidogyne javanica (Treub, 1885) Chitwood, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White, 1919) Chitwood, Meloidogyne arenaria (Neal, 1889) Chitwood and Meloidogyne chitwoodi Golden, O'Bannon, Santo et Finley, 1980 were the most common in Turkey Of the 79 samples, 28 (35%), 22 (28%), 21(27%), and 8 (10%) were identified molecular and morphological methods to be M. javanica, M. incognita, M. arenaria and M chitwoodi, respectively It was determined that all the samples collected from potato crop in mid-Anatolia were belong to M chitwoodi