Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
JOURNAL OF PLANT DISEASES AND PROTECTION, cilt.133, sa.3, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are among the most destructive soilborne pathogens limiting tomato production under greenhouse conditions. This study phenotypically assessed the virulence of 80 Meloidogyne populations collected from greenhouse vegetable production areas in the Aegean Region of Turkiye and evaluated the resistance of 11 tomato genotypes against Meloidogyne incognita. Virulence was evaluated on the Mi-1-carrying cultivar UFUK F1 and the susceptible control SC2121 based on gall index (GI) and resistance index (RI), while genotype resistance was assessed using GI and reproduction factor (Rf). Among the 80 populations, 32 (40%) were classified as virulent, 12 (15%) as moderately virulent, and 36 (45%) as avirulent. Virulent populations were highly clustered in provinces with intensive greenhouse tomato monoculture, particularly Kutahya (100%), Mugla (70%), Aydin (57%), Manisa (29%), Denizli (20%), and Izmir (6.7%), whereas none were detected in Balikesir, Usak, or Canakkale. Species identification revealed that most virulent populations were M. incognita (22), followed by M. javanica (8) and M. hispanica (2). Notably, the two M. hispanica populations capable of breaking Mi-1 resistance represent the first such report from Turkiye. Resistance screening identified four genotypes (D2, D8, D10, D14) as resistant (Rf < 1), despite the absence of the Mi-1 gene, indicating alternative resistance mechanisms. Among them, D2 showed the strongest resistance (Rf = 0.2, GI = 1.75), while susceptible genotypes supported prolific nematode reproduction (Rf > 3.0, GI >= 3.5). These findings demonstrate a high frequency of virulent Meloidogyne populations in greenhouse tomato systems and highlight the potential of Mi-1-independent genotypes, particularly D2, as promising resistance sources for breeding programmes aimed at improving the durability of nematode management strategies.