Reaction of Field-grown Sericea Lespedeza to Selected Meloidogyne spp

Five sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata [Dumont] G. Don) breeding lines resistant to Meloidogyne incognita, M. incognita acrita, and M. hapla as seedlings in greenhouse tests and two varieties were resistant to M. incognita acrita in field experiments. Root-knot galling and larvae numbers were less for resistant entries than for the susceptible check when grown in root-knot infested field soil for three growing seasons. Forage yields were as much as 57 times greater for resistant entries than for susceptible check. Lines resistant to M. incognita acrita generally appeared more tolerant to M. javanica than the susceptible check in the field. A population predominantly M. incognita acrita built up on cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and hairy vetch (Vicia villosa L.) shifted to M. javanica under sericea lespedeza.