Abstract

A greenhouse experiment was carried out in National Root Crops Research Institute (NRCRI), Umudike, Nigeria to evaluate the effects of different inoculum densities of root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita on growth of Hausa potato. The experiment consisted of six M. incognita inoculum levels in five replications set up in complete randomized design. The results revealed that there was significant density effect on stem weight. The economic threshold level of the nematode inoculum at which significant damage was obtained was 500 eggs/plant. However there was generally no significant effects of the root-knot nematode on some growth parameters as well as on the pest incidence in the soil and roots of the crop. Keywords: Root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita, inoculum densities, Hausa potato Solenostemon rotundifolius.