RESPONSE OF 3 CULTIVARS AND ONE HYBRID OF MUSA TO RADOPHOLUS-SIMILIS IN COSTA-RICA

An experiment was conducted to evaluate the reaction of three varietie s and one hybrid of Musa to inoculation with Radopholus similis. The f ollowing materials obtained from in vitro micropropagation were tested : Musa AAA cv. Yangambi, Musa AAB cv. Currare, Musa AAA cv. Gran Enano and the hybrid Musa AAAB 'Bras-9' (Musa AAB fv. Prata x Musa acuminat a ssp. burmanicoides). After 4 weeks. of acclimatation to ambient cond itions, the plantlets were inoculated with 100 Radopholus similis. Eig ht weeks after inoculation, plant height, plant and root fresh weight, final nematode population in the roots and root lesion index were rec orded. The results confirm the partial resistance of Yangambi and the susceptibility of Cavendish varieties (Gran Enano) to Radopholus simil is.