Chenopodium album is a weed host of Meloidogyne incognita (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae) in Peru

Abstract

Chenopodium album plants showing symptoms caused by root-knot nematodes were detected in the La Joya, Arequipa, Peru. Based on the morphological, esterase phenotypes, and molecular analyses of the mitochondrial DNA region between the cytochome oxidase subunit II and 16S rRNA genes (mtDNA) and species-specific characterized amplified region, the causal agent of the observed symptoms was identified as Meloidogyne incognita. Pathogenicity was confirmed by fulfilling a modified version of Koch’s postulates. To our knowledge, this is the first report of M. incognita parasitizing C. album in Peru.