Molecular identification of root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita from kiwi fruit orchards in Ordu province, Turkey

Abstract

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are one of the major groups of nematodes identified on kiwi fruit (Actinidia deliciosa Chev.). This investigation was conducted to identify root-knot nematodes encountered the in kiwi fruit orchards in the Ordu province of Turkey by means of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). For this purpose, infected plant root samples were collected from 17 kiwi fruit orchards located in Center, Persembe, Unye, Gulyali, Ikizce and Ulubey districts of the province during the years 2011-2012. Females directly obtained from the infected roots of orchard populations were used for the molecular identifications. It was carried out with an identification key using ribosomal DNA (rDNA) region, Intergenic Spacer (IGS-2) region between 5S-18S genes, and the species-specific Sequence Characterized Amplified Region (SCAR) markers. All samples from the districts of Ordu province were identified as Meloidogyne incognita by the exact size of 502 bp amplicons by SEC1F/SEC1R scar primers. This study was the first detailed investigation both in the province and country on kiwi fruit.