Root-knot nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne represent one of the most damaging and agricultural important group of plant-parasitic nematodes. These nematodes are obligate sedentary endoparasites infecting most species of higher plants and have a cosmopolitan distribution. Annual worldwide economic losses due to nematode infection of crops have been estimated at several hundred billion US dollars. This book is the first complete illustrated compendium of root-knot nematode species and contains 98 species descriptions with comprehensive diagnoses, information on biology, plant-hosts, pathogenicity, symptoms, distribution and biochemical and molecular diagnostics. It also includes introductions into morphology, biology, biogeography, genomics, phylogeny and host-parasite relationships of root-knot nematodes.
Sergei A. Subbotin, Ph.D. (1987), California Department of Food and Agriculture, USA, is Senior Nematologist at Plant Pest Diagnostic Center. He has published more than 190 articles, 22 book chapters and 4 books on different aspects of systematics of nematodes.
Juan Emilio Palomares-Rius, Ph.D. (2009), Spanish National Research Council, is a Research Scientist at Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Córdoba, Spain. He has worked as agricultural field manager, published more than 105 referred papers in plant-parasitic nematodes and four book chapters.
Pablo Castillo, Ph.D. (1988), Spanish National Research Council, is a Research Scientist at Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Córdoba, Spain. He has published two books on Pratylenchus (Brill, 2007) and Rotylenchus (Brill, 2005), and more than 200 referred papers in plant-parasitic nematodes.
Preface
Acknowledgements
Chapter 1. Taxonomic history
Chapter 2. Diagnosis of the genus Meloidogyne
Chapter 3. Morphology
Female
Male
Second-stage juvenile
Egg
Measurements and indices for morphological identification
Chapter 4. Biology
Development and life cycle
Reproduction and cytogenetics
Chapter 5. Distribution of root-knot nematode species
Chapter 6. Host-parasite relationships
Symptoms of infection
Giant cell formation
Host races
Plant host range
Chapter 9. Methods of biochemical and molecular diagnostics
Protein-based diagnostics
DNA-based diagnostics
Genes used for molecular diagnostics
PCR with specific primers
Real-time PCR
Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP)
Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA)
Chapter 10. Phylogenetic relationships
Phylogeny and molecular grouping of root-knot nematodes
Evolutionary relationships of Meloidogyne nataliei and M. indica with other root-knot nematodes
Evolutionary trends within the root-knot nematodes
Chapter 11. Polytomous key to the species of Meloidogyne
Stages and characters used for polytomous key
Morphometric and morphological characters used to distinguish Meloidogyne spp. in polytomous key