Morphometric and molecular characterization of root-knot nematodes infecting Malabar spinach (Basella alba L.) in the Philippines

Abstract

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are one of the most damaging plant parasites hence, accurate identification of these pests is essential for the formulation of an efficient disease management program. In the present study, Meloidogyne sp. infecting Malabar spinach in Los Banos, Laguna, Philippines was characterized based on morphology and molecular data. The perineal patterns of adult females showed a distinct arrangement typical of M. incognita. Morphometric analysis of some of the females and second-stage juveniles matched well to the reference M. incognita isolates from selected studies. In terms of molecular characterization, amplification based on the COII/16SrRNA intervening regions of the mtDNA and M. incognita-specific SCAR marker followed by sequencing revealed that the Malabar spinach isolate is indeed M. incognita. Although there are certain differences observed in some characters and morphometrics intraspecifically, both the overall morphological and molecular findings assert the species identity of the isolate.

Keywords:

• Meloidogyne incognita
• Basella alba: perineal pattern
• COII/16SrRNA
• SCAR

Acknowledgement

We would like to thank the Insect Pathology Laboratory of the Institute of Weed Science, Entomology, and Plant Pathology, University of the Philippines Los Baños headed by Dr. Barbara L. Caoili for accommodating us for microscopy and PCR detection.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.