Reaction of wild eggplant Solanum torvum to different species of root-knot nematodes from Turkey

The cultivated eggplant species are susceptible to root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.). However, many wild Solanum species, such as S. torvum, S. sisymbriifolium, S. aethiopicum and S. warscewiczii, are resistant to some root-knot nematodes. Only S. torvum is employed as a rootstock for eggplant cultivation worldwide. This study investigated the response of S. torvum cv. Hawk against the root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne incognita, Mi-1 virulent M. incognita, M. javanica, M. arenaria and M. luci and M. hapla from Turkey, under controlled conditions. A local eggplant cultivar and a commercial eggplant hybrid were included in the bioassay. Eggplant seedlings were each inoculated with 1000 second-stage juveniles of Meloidogyne spp. and uprooted 8 weeks after nematode inoculation. Then, egg masses and galls on the roots were counted. S. torvum was resistant to M. incognita, Mi-1 virulent M. incognita, M. javanica, M. arenaria and M. luci, but susceptible to M. hapla. In Turkey, S. torvum has commonly been used as a rootstock against Meloidogyne spp. The study provided background information of S. torvum rootstock resistance to the mentioned populations of root-knot nematodes, except M. hapla.