Development of a PCR Diagnostic for the Root-knot Nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii

The root-knot nematode Meloidogyne enterolobii Yang and Eisenback 1983 is a potentially important crop pathogen in China.To provide means to assist in preventing the spread of M.enterolobii,a single-step PCR diagnostic was developed for the nematode.The diagnostic primers were designed based on an alignment of ribosomal intergenic spacer 2(IGS2) sequences from M.enterolobii,M.incognita,M.javanica,M.arenaria and M.hapla. The reliability of the diagnostic test has been validated by screening different(geographic) populations of six closely related Meloidogyne species and natural mixed soil nematode populations.The test is fast and sensitive,it can be used for direct diagnosis of a single nematode and for detection of M.enterolobii in mixed soil nematode populations.