COMPARATIVE HOST SUITABILITY OF SELECTED CROP PLANTS TO MELOIDOGYNE-CHITWOODI GOLDEN ET-AL 1980 AND MELOIDOGYNE-FALLAX KARSSEN 1996

Several tests were conducted in the greenhouse to compare the reproduc tion of M. chitwoodi and M. fallax on some field crops grown at the ty pe locality of M. fallax and in the region were both nematodes occur. In addition some related crops and Tagetes erecta and T. patula were a lso tested. The French bean cv. Masai, the chicory cvs Hybrid F1, Mid- Early and Groenlof, the dahlia cv. Vuurvogel and an unknown cv. of bor age supported low populations of both M. chitwoodi and M. fallax. The French bean cvs Strike and Groffy showed a differential response towar d both nematodes: both cvs were good hosts for M. chitwoodi and non-ho sts for M. fallax.