R. T. Robbins1, E. Shipe2, P. Arelli3, P. Chen1, L. Rakes1, L. E. Jackson1, Edward E. Gbur1, and D. G. Dombek1. (1) University of Arkansas, Cralley-Warren Research Center, 2601 N. Young Ave., Fayetteville, AR 72704, (2) Clemson University, Dept of Entomology, Soils, and Plant Sciences, Rm. 276 Poole Agric Center, Box 340315, Clemson, SC 29634, (3) USDA, 605 Airways Blvd, Jackson, TN 38301
During 2007, 128 soybean varieties from the Arkansas variety testing program and 48 breeding lines (30 breeding lines from the Clemson, 6 from the Arkansas, and 12 from the USDA Jackson TN breeding programs) were tested in the greenhouse to determine their suitability as hosts for the reniform nematode (RN), Rotylenchulus reniformis. All treatments were inoculated with 2,034 vermiform RN. The RN resistant varieties Anand, Forrest, and Hartwig, the RN susceptible cultivar Braxton, and fallow RN-infested soil served as controls. The mean number of vermiform nematodes extracted from the soil of each treatment was calculated, as were the reproductive indices (RI = Pf/Pi), and PF/PI’s of Forrest, Anand, and Hartwig for both tests. Arkansas test cultivars with RI’s significantly greater than the RI on Forrest (1.00) were considered suitable hosts for R. reniformis. Those showing resistance may be useful in a cotton-soybean rotation when reniform nematode is present.