Root‐knot nematodes associated with tannia (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) in Tanzania

Abstract

Extraction of nematodes from 36 root samples of tannia (Xanthosoma sagittifolium) collected from three locations in Morogoro region, Tanzania, revealed that Meloidogyne spp. were the dominant nematodes associated with the crop. A frequency of 100% was recorded in all three areas where high densities of up to 6570 Meloidogyne juveniles and of up to 7.1 Meloidogyne females per gram of root tissues were recorded. The Meloidogyne species were identified as M. arenaria and M. javanica. No external galls were visible on infected roots, but the nematodes were in sufficient numbers to cause damage to tannia.

Keywords:

• Tannia
• Xanthosoma sagittifolium
• Meloidogyne spp.
• Tanzania