During an official survey conducted in August 2021, Meloidogyne luci (EPPO Alert List) was found for the first time in Serbia. This root-knot nematode was detected in a tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) glasshouse in the village of Lugovo, near Sombor (Vojvodina province). Affected tomato plants showed yellowing, stunting, and extensive root galls. The identity of the nematode was confirmed by molecular tests (RT-PCR and sequencing). This is the first time that M. luci has been reported from Serbia. The authors hypothesized that climate change and, in particular, higher temperatures could lead to further spread and greater damage caused by M. luci to various field crops in the future.
Pictures: Meloidogyne luci. https://gd.eppo.int/taxon/MELGLC/photos
Courtesy: Dr. Sasa Circa (Agricultural Institute of Slovenia).
Source: Bačić J, Pavlović M, Kušić-Tišma J, Širca S, Theuerschuh M, Gerič Stare B (2023) First report of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne luci on tomato in Serbia. Plant Disease 107 (early view). https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-01-23-0164-PDN
Via EPPO