Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris F.) is one of the most important crops in Paraná State, which is responsible for almost 10% of the Brazilian production (4). Root knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp., are common parasites of this crop worldwide, but damage caused by Meloidogyne inornata has not been reported. During a survey of nematode species present on common bean fields in Paraná State, Brazil, galled root samples of cultivars Tuiuiú and Eldorado were submitted, in June 2012, in the Nematology Laboratory from IAPAR, collected in the municipalities of Araucária (25°35′34″S, 49°24′36″W) and Santana do Itararé (23°45′18″S, 49°37′44″W). Plants did not exhibit any above-ground symptoms. The specimens were identified through perineal patterns and esterase phenotypes of 20 adult females extracted from dissected roots (2,3). The population densities observed in the samples were 140 and 700 J2 and eggs per gram of roots, respectively, for both samples. Characteristics were consistent with those described for M. inornata. For example, perineal patterns of M. inornata showed a high dorsal arch, with smooth to wavy striae, similar to those of M. incognita; but no punctate markings between anus and tail terminus were observed. However, from the esterase electrophoresis we obtained the I3 (Rm = 0.83, 1.15, and 1.32) phenotype, typical of M. inornata, a species-specific phenotype used to differentiate this species from M. incognita (1). Moreover, the excretory pore of adult females was located 32.1 (± 5.4) μm from the anterior end, consistent with the M. inornata description (25 to 53 μm) (1). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of M. inornata parasitizing common bean roots. This finding has great importance for Brazilian agriculture, since this nematode may damage common bean plants and become an additional problem for this crop. Additional work is necessary in order to elucidate the losses caused by M. inornata on common bean.
References: (1) R. M. D. G. Carneiro et al. Nematology 10:123, 2008. (2) P. R. Esbenshade and A. C. Triantaphyllou J. Nematol. 22:10, 1990. (3) K. M. Hartman and J. N. Sasser. Page 115 in: An Advanced Treatise on Meloidogyne, Volume II Methodology. K. R. Barker et al., eds. Raleigh: North Carolina State University Graphics, 1985. (4) MAPA. Feijão, Ministério da Agricultura, Brasil. Retrieved from http://www.agricultura.gov.br/vegetal/culturas/feijao September 05, 2012.
