Cucurbit Rootstocks Resistant to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum Remain Resistant When Coinfected by Meloidogyne incognita in the Field.

Abstract

Interspecific hybrid squash (Cucurbita maxima × Cucurbita moschata) rootstocks used to graft watermelon (Citrullus lanatus var. lanatus) are resistant to Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum, the fungus that causes Fusarium wilt of watermelon, but they are susceptible to Meloidogyne incognita, the southern root knot nematode. A new citron (Citrullus amarus) rootstock cultivar Carolina Strongback is resistant to F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum and M. incognita. The objective of this study was to determine if an interaction between M. incognita and F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum race 2 occurred on grafted or nongrafted triploid watermelon susceptible to F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum race 2. In 2016 and 2018, plants of nongrafted cultivar Fascination and Fascination grafted onto Carolina Strongback and interspecific hybrid squash cultivar Carnivor were inoculated or not inoculated with M. incognita before transplanting into field plots infested or not infested with F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum race 2. Incidence of Fusarium wilt and area under the disease progress curve did not differ when hosts were inoculated with F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum alone or F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum and M. incognita together. Fusarium wilt was greater on nongrafted watermelon (78% mean incidence) than on both grafted rootstocks and lower on Carnivor (1% incidence) than on Carolina Strongback (12% incidence; P ≤ 0.01). Plants not inoculated with F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum did not wilt. At the end of the season, Carnivor had a greater percentage of the root system galled than the other two hosts, whereas galling did not differ on Fascination and Carolina Strongback. F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum reduced marketable weight of nongrafted Fascination with and without coinoculation with M. incognita. M. incognita reduced marketable weight of Fascination grafted onto Carnivor compared with noninoculated, nongrafted Fascination. In conclusion, cucurbit rootstocks that are susceptible and resistant to M. incognita retain resistance to F. oxysporum f. sp. niveum when they are coinfected with M. incognita.