Host status of sweetpotato cultivars and germplasm to Rotylenchulus reniformis
- 1LSU AgCenter, Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology, 302 Life Science Building, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 70803, USA
Abstract
Rotylenchulus reniformis (the reniform nematode) is an emerging pest of sweetpotato. The aim of this study is to (i) determine the host status of sweetpotato cultivars to R. reniformis, (ii) identify potential sources of resistance among sweetpotato germplasm, and (iii) evaluate R. reniformis parasitism on root biomass partitioning. Greenhouse trials evaluated R. reniformis reproduction and sweetpotato root weight with 10 commercial cultivars and 28 plant introductions (PIs). All commercial cultivars supported similar nematode reproduction to the susceptible control ‘Beauregard’, indicating widespread susceptibility. Four PIs (‘Saing-Mi’, ‘Regal’, ‘Morada Sombica’, and ‘Tainung 63’) had lower nematode reproduction compared to ‘Beauregard’. Rotylenchulus reniformis infection increased fibrous root biomass by 28.4%, yet reduced storage root weight by an average of 30.4%, demonstrating yield penalties associated with R. reniformis parasitism. This is the first report identifying ‘Covington’ and ‘Orleans’ as highly susceptible to R. reniformis and confirms that R. reniformis significantly inhibits storage root production. These findings emphasize the negative impact of R. reniformis in sweetpotato production and highlight the lack of available host resistance.
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BibTeX
@article{miller2026host,
title = {{Host status of sweetpotato cultivars and germplasm to Rotylenchulus reniformis}},
author = {Timothy S. Miller and Tristan T. Watson},
journal = {Journal of Nematology},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.2478/jofnem-2026-0032},
url = {https://doi.org/10.2478/jofnem-2026-0032},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Host status of sweetpotato cultivars and germplasm to Rotylenchulus reniformis
AU - Timothy S. Miller
AU - Tristan T. Watson
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
JO - Journal of Nematology
DO - 10.2478/jofnem-2026-0032
UR - https://doi.org/10.2478/jofnem-2026-0032
AB - Rotylenchulus reniformis (the reniform nematode) is an emerging pest of sweetpotato. The aim of this study is to (i) determine the host status of sweetpotato cultivars to R. reniformis, (ii) identify potential sources of resistance among sweetpotato germplasm, and (iii) evaluate R. reniformis parasitism on root biomass partitioning. Greenhouse trials evaluated R. reniformis reproduction and sweetpotato root weight with 10 commercial cultivars and 28 plant introductions (PIs). All commercial cultivars supported similar nematode reproduction to the susceptible control ‘Beauregard’, indicating widespread susceptibility. Four PIs (‘Saing-Mi’, ‘Regal’, ‘Morada Sombica’, and ‘Tainung 63’) had lower nematode reproduction compared to ‘Beauregard’. Rotylenchulus reniformis infection increased fibrous root biomass by 28.4%, yet reduced storage root weight by an average of 30.4%, demonstrating yield penalties associated with R. reniformis parasitism. This is the first report identifying ‘Covington’ and ‘Orleans’ as highly susceptible to R. reniformis and confirms that R. reniformis significantly inhibits storage root production. These findings emphasize the negative impact of R. reniformis in sweetpotato production and highlight the lack of available host resistance.
SN - 0022-300X
SN - 2640-396X
ER -