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Root-knot nematodes have caused severe damage to chili grown in Ubon Ratchathani province, Thailand, for a long time. As yield losses caused by these root-knot nematodes have been evaluated and effective control methods have been sought, accurate identification of the species of root-knot nematodes is urgently needed. Thus, this study focused on nematode identification using morphological and molecular techniques. A field survey of damaged chili plants was carried out in 4 districts of Ubon Ratchathani province: Lao Suea Kok (LS), Mueang (AM), Muang Sam Sip (MS) and Det Udom (DA). This survey revealed that many chili plants exhibited symptoms of leaf yellowing, leaf drooping and stunted growth, and numerous root galls were observed when the plants were uprooted, especially the “Superhot” chili variety in AM district. Morphological, morphometric and molecular characterization were studied to identify the causal agent of the disease. Perineal patterns analysis of adult females showed that all had rounded to ovoid shapes, with high to moderately high dorsal arches, and lateral lines. The morphometrics of males and 2nd-stage juveniles (J2) were highly similar to the original description of Meloidogyne enterolobii. Molecular identification based on COII-16S rRNA gene regions revealed that M. enterolobii was the cause of damage in all sampled locations, and were 99 % similar to M. enterolobii populations found in the USA and China. Information regarding the morphological and molecular characters of M. enterolobii parasitizing chili plants collected from Ubon Ratchathani province, Thailand, are provided in this study. HIGHLIGHTS Root-knot nematodes are widely spread in many chili farms located in Lao Suea Kok (LS), Mueang (AM), Muang Sam Sip (MS) and Det Udom (DU) districts, Ubon Ratchathani province, Thailand Damage to chili plants by root-knot nematodes in Ubon Ratchathani province was severe, especially on “Superhot” chili variety at AM district Using morphological and molecular characterization analysis, the root-knot nematodes found in this study were identified as Meloidogyne enterolobii GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT
Boonrin et al. (Thu,) studied this question.