Detection and molecular characterization of the seville root-knot nematode Meloidogyne hispanica parasiting pepper in China

Meloidogyne hispanica infects many economically important crops worldwide and has been listed as a quarantine pest in many countries and as an invasive alien species in China. Accurate identification of this pathogen is essential for the establishment of efficient and sustainable integrated pest management programs. During the field investigations in Hainan, China, we discovered galled roots caused by nematode infestation in the pepper field. Further identification of the nematode isolated from the root galls, including morphological and molecular techniques, confirmed that the isolated population infesting the pepper roots belonged to the species M. hispanica. Upon artificial inoculation under greenhouse conditions, the isolated nematodes induced symptoms that closely resembled those observed in the field. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documented case of M. hispanica parasitizing pepper crops in China, which will provide valuable basis to formulate targeted control strategies.