Disease Note.

Widespread Occurrence of Meloidogyne incognita on Kiwifruit in the Coastal Areas of South Carolina. R. A. Haygood, Department of Plant Pathology and Physiology and Department of Agricultural Chemical Services, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634. J. A. Saunders, and R. W. Miller. Department of Plant Pathology and Physiology and Department of Agricultural Chemical Services, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634. Plant Dis. 74:81. Accepted for publication 9 August 1989. Copyright 1990 The American Phytopathological Society. DOI: 10.1094/PD-74-0081F.

Root knot nematodes have been associated with the decline of kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa (A. Chev) C. F. Liang et A. R. Ferguson) in South Carolina over the past 3 yr. Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid & White) Chitwood was recovered from galled roots and soil from 10 counties in South Carolina where over 200 acres of kiwifruit are grown. Galls varied in size up to I cm in diameter. Two healthy 1-yr-old kiwifruit plants were inoculated with approximately 1,000 juveniles. M. incognita was recovered from galled roots of wilted inoculated plants but not from roots of two healthy control plants. M. incognita. M. arenaria (Neal) Chitwood, and M. javanica (Treub) Chitwood are found in many kiwifruit plantings in California and are considered to be major pests (M. V. McKenry, personal communication). This is the first documented report on the widespread occurrence of M. incognita on kiwifruit in the eastern United States.