Pathological Interrelations of Soil-Borne Diseases in Cucurbits Caused by Fusarium Species and Meloidogyne incognita

Pathological interrelations of two soil-borne diseases in cucurbits (watermelon, oriental melon, shintosa and cucumber) caused by Fusarium isolates (FI) and the root-knot nematode (RKN), Meloidogyne incognita were characterized by the fusarium disease severity index (DI), RKN gall index (GI) and eggmass index (EI) in inoculation tests using FI and RKN. Virulence of FI as determined by DI at 4 weeks after inoculation was mostly in the higher order of Fusarium proliferatum F6, F5 and Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. melonis or Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum with no significant differential interactions among the cucurbits and RKN co-infection. Significant increases of DI due to RKN coinfection were noticed in watermelon and oriental melon infected with F. proliferatum isolates, suggesting the DI increase due to RKN coinfection may depend upon the virulence of FI relative to aggressiveness of RKN on the cucurbits. For the coinfection of FI and RKN, GI and EI were mostly reduced logarithmically with the increase of DI, largely more in EI than GI, in all cucurbits except for shintosa. Microscopic examination of the root tissues showed histopathological features characteristic to infection types; formation of fungal hyphae and/or spores and plant defense structures (tyloses and mucilage) in variable degrees and formation of giant cells at variable developmental stages and with variable cytoplasmic depletion or degeneration which were visualized in relations with the values of DI, GI and EI. These findings will be helpful to develop control strategies of the soil-borne disease complex based on their pathological characteristics.