Host status of morning-glory (Ipomoea spp.) to Meloidogyne species

Weeds can be hosting and alternative multipliers of root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.). Among the main weeds, species of the genus Ipomoea stands out for their cosmopolitan presence and the negative impact on crops. In addition, they can behave as hosts and promote the reproduction of pests, diseases, and nematodes. However, the ability of Meloidogyne nematodes to infect morning-glory (Ipomoea spp.) is little understood. In this context, the objective was to evaluate the reproduction of M. arenaria, M. enterolobii, M. ethiopica, M. hapla, M. incognita, M. javanica, M. luci, and M. morocciensis in I. grandifolia, I. hederifolia, I. nil, I. purpurea, and I. quamoclit. Plants were individually inoculated with 5,000 eggs and second-stage juveniles and kept in a greenhouse for 60 days. The design was completely randomized with six repetitions. After this period, the root system of each plant was evaluated to gall index (IG) and reproduction factor (RF). It was verified that the eight species of Melodoigyne have the capacity to parasitize I. grandifolia, I. hederifolia, I. nil, I. purpurea, and I. quamoclit, showing the susceptibility of these weeds to the plant-parasitic nematodes. The highest RF were observed for M. enterolobii with values of 12.5 and 12.9 for I. quamoclit and I. hederifolia, respectively. While M. arenaria obtained the lowest values, with RF ≤ 4.0 for all species of Ipomoea. Thus, weed species of the Ipomoea genus are potential hosts and multipliers of root-knot nematodes, making it important to be considered in integrated management strategies for these plant-parasitic nematodes.