Response of soybean cultivars to infection by Meloidogyne incognita and Rhizobium japonicum alone and in combination

Abstract

Several plant parasitic nematodes have been reported in association with soybean, Glycine max L. (Rebois and Golden, 1978). Root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne spp., are regarded as a major pest wherever the crop is grown. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria are important in relation to the growth and yield of soybean (Longeri and Herrera, 1972; Saxena and Tilak, 1975). Bacterial root nodulation can be suppressed by the invasion of plant parasitic nematodes. Studies involving Meloidogyne and H eterodera spp. have shown that their invasion of the roots of leguminous hosts can completely prevent nodulation with subsequent reduction in plant growth (Robinson, 1960; Malek and Jenkins, 1964; Taha and Raski, 1969; Barker and Huisingh, 1970; Wescott and Barker, 1976). The response of three soybean cultivars to the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid et White) Chitwood and the influence of nematode invasion on nodulation by Rhizobium japonicum were investigated in the experiments described here.