RESISTANCE TO MELOIDOGYNE-JAVANICA AND ROTYLENCHULUS-RENIFORMIS IN WILD RELATIVES OF PIGEONPEA

Meloidogyne javanica and Rotylenchulus reniformis are important nemato de pests of pigeonpea. Greenhouse evaluation of 66 accessions of 25 sp ecies of Cajanus, Rhynchosia, and Flemingia for resistance to M. javan ica based on number and size of galls, galled area of root, and number of egg masses showed resistance to be available in these wild relativ es of pigeonpea. Thirty-five accessions had less than or equal to 10 g alls. Five accessions of C. scarabaeoides (ICPW 92, 101, 103, 128, and 133) had very small or no galls. Damage indices (based on gall number , gall size, and galled area of root) ranged between 1 and 8 on a 1 (h ighly resistant) to 9 (highly susceptible) scale. ICPW 92 was highly r esistant to M. javanica, and 38 other accessions were resistant. Acces sions of Flemingia spp. and Rhynchosia spp. showed greater susceptibil ity than accessions of Cajanus spp. Based on the number of egg masses on roots, no accession of the three genera was highly resistant to R. reniformis, and 83% of the tested accessions were susceptible. Two acc essions of C. scarabaeoides (ICPW 38 and 92) and one accession each of R. aurea (ICPW 210), R. minima (ICPW 237), and R. rothii (ICPW 257) w ere resistant to R. reniformis. Species of Cajanus and Flemingia were generally more susceptible to R. reniformis than were Rhynchosia spp. ICPW 92 was identified as a promising genotype with genes for resistan ce to both nematodes.