A 2‐year, multi‐county survey of plant‐parasitic nematodes in North Carolina flue‐cured tobacco

Abstract

AbstractNorth Carolina is the leading producer of flue‐cured tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) in the United States. Production in the state is threatened by numerous plant‐parasitic nematodes, including Meloidogyne spp. (root‐knot), Globodera tabacum (tobacco cyst), Pratylenchus spp. (lesion), Rotylenchulus reniformis (reniform), and Tylenchorhynchus spp. (stunt) nematodes. The invasive Meloidogyne enterolobii is also a major threat as it can infect tobacco varieties carrying the Rk gene, which conditions resistance to other Meloidogyne species. To gain an updated understanding of which nematode taxa are present in tobacco production and investigate distribution of M. enterolobii in North Carolina, a 2‐year survey was conducted. From 2021 to 2022, 188 fields were sampled across 24 tobacco‐growing counties. Samples were assayed for identification and quantification of nematodes at the genus level; where Meloidogyne spp. was identified, molecular testing was used to determine the species. Data were also collected on the previous crop and tobacco variety grown. In both years, lesion, root‐knot, dagger, and stunt nematodes were found in the highest incidence among samples. In 2022, M. enterolobii was identified in a single sample each from Granville and Pitt counties; this is the first report of M. enterolobii from Granville County. Tobacco variety NC 196 and soybean were the most common variety and previous crop grown, respectively, in both years of the survey. Tobacco variety did not have an effect on nematode population density. The previous crop had a significant effect on root‐knot and spiral nematodes in 2021, and lesion and stubby root nematodes in 2022.