Evaluation of Okra Landraces and Accessions Response to the Root-Knot Nematode, Meloidogyne javanica

Thirty-seven landraces and accessions of okra were evaluated under controlled growth conditions; seven of them were further evaluated under open field conditions for their response to the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica in Jordan. Their degree of susceptibility or resistance ranged from highly susceptible to moderately resistant. International landraces; TOT 581 (from Bangladesh), Egypt Green (from Egypt), TOT 7963 (from Guatemala), TOT 2739 (from Malaysia), Palestine landrace, TOT 7957 (from USA), TOT 7346 (from Vietnam) and USA red and some local Jordanian landraces (Jordan 12, Jordan 34, and Jordan 169) were found moderately resistant (root galling index (RGI) is 2 and reproductive factor (RF) ranged from 1-5). Egypt Red, Jordan 3, Jordan 8, Jordan 48, Jordan 52, Jordan 84, TOT 1767 (from India), India Prabhani, India Sade, TOT 7159 (from Malaysia), TOT 7164 (from Myanmar), TOT 7101 and 7102 (from Philippines), TOT 7343 and 7345 (from Vietnam), and TOT 7966 (from Yugoslavia) were moderately susceptible (RGI=3 and RF ranged from 3 to more than 5). Egypt Green, Egypt Red, Jordan 8 and USA lee gave moderately resistant reactions under open field conditions. Therefore, more efforts should be directed toward intensive breeding of okra for high resistance to the root-knot nematode.