Sensitivity of Meloidogyne enterolobii and M. incognita to fluorinated nematicides

Abstract BACKGROUND Meloidogyne enterolobii (Yang and Eisenback) was recently introduced into Louisiana on contaminated sweetpotato planting material. Given the known variation in sensitivity to nematicides within the genus Meloidogyne , there is question as to whether fluorinated nematicides will be as efficacious toward M. enterolobii as they are with M. incognita (Chitwood). Using a series of in vitro and growth cabinet experiments, this study compared the sensitivity of M. enterolobii and M. incognita to four synthetic non‐fumigant nematicides (fluopyram, fluensulfone, fluazaindolizine, and oxamyl). RESULTS Meloidogyne enterolobii had lower sensitivity to nematicides than M. incognita in the majority of the in vitro exposure assays. Similar levels of reduction in root infectivity were observed after nematicide exposure among both nematode species. Fluopyram showed high hatching inhibition for both Meloidogyne species at low concentrations [median effective concentration (EC 50 ) values of 0.273 to 0.018 mg L −1 ], whereas fluensulfone showed high root penetration inhibition at low concentrations (EC 50 values of 0.151 to 0.065 mg L −1 ) relative to that of other evaluated nematicides. For both Meloidogyne species, each of the four non‐fumigant nematicides reduced root galling (58–96% reduction for M. enterolobii , 71–100% reduction for M. incognita ) and egg production (63–99% reduction for M. enterolobii , 58–96% reduction for M. incognita ) on sweetpotato when applied at the label recommended rate. CONCLUSION Fluorinated nematicides and oxamyl show capacity to suppress M. enterolobii on sweetpotato. © 2021 Society of Chemical Industry.