Systematics of Root-knot Nematodes (Nematoda: Meloidogynidae)

Book excerpt: Root-knot nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne represent one of the most damaging and agricultural important group of plant-parasitic nematodes. These nematodes are obligate sedentary endoparasites infecting most species of higher plants and have a cosmopolitan distribution. Annual worldwide economic losses due to nematode infection of crops have been estimated at several hundred billion US dollars. This book is the first complete illustrated compendium of root-knot nematode species and contains 98 species descriptions with comprehensive diagnoses, information on biology, plant-hosts, pathogenicity, symptoms, distribution and biochemical and molecular diagnostics. It also includes introductions into morphology, biology, biogeography, genomics, phylogeny and host-parasite relationships of root-knot nematodes.