Root-knot nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chi
twood, damages cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., roots, affecting water a
nd nutrient uptake and predisposing the plants to other soilborne path
ogens. Post-penetration development of RKN was compared on three genot
ypes. Susceptible M-8, moderately resistant M-78, and highly resistant
M-315, were grown in a greenhouse in a Wickham sandy soil (a fine, lo
amy, mixed thermic, Typic Hapludult) and inoculated with second-stage
juveniles. RKN in each of 7 developmental stages were counted every 2
d for 44 d. At 18 DAI, 70, 45, and 6% of RKN present were adults in M-
8, M-78, and M-315, respectively. In addition to slower development of
RKN in M-315, resistance is expressed by significantly fewer developi
ng third and fourth stage juveniles at 8 DAI and fewer developing to m
ature females at about 24 DAI. Most RKN that penetrated M-315 failed t
o establish and/or maintain giant cells. However, a few females establ
ished giant cells. At 44 DAI, the numbers of egg-laying females on M-8
, M-78, and M-315 were 299, 144, and 5, respectively. There were signi
ficantly fewer root galls on M-315 than on M-78 or M-8 beginning 10 DA
I, and significantly fewer on M-78 than or M-8 at 40 DAI. Galls were s
ignificantly smaller on A M-315 than on M-78 or Mg beginning 8 DAI, an
d significantly smaller on M-78 than on M-8 beginning 18 DAI. Thus, th
e post-penetration development of root-knot nematode was slower, fewer
developed to adult females, and root galls were fewer and smaller on
the resistant genotypes than on the susceptible M-8.