Nematodos agalladores asociados al cultivo de papaya (Carica papaya L.) en el departamento de Córdoba, Colombia

Nematode species associated with pa- paya crop (Carica papaya L) were characterized in Cordoba, Colombia by using morphological and morphometric parameters of their females, males, and infective second-stage juveniles (J2). Soil sam- ples were taken from papaya plantations in order to evaluate soil texture, organic matter (OM), pH, electric conductivity (EC), and, finally, presence of root knot nematodes in the soil. Correlation analy- sis was performed to correlate soil variables with the presence of Meloidogyne species. Meloidogyne incognita, M. arenaria and M. javanica were found, whereas M. incognita was the most frequent specie. These three species were found together in 37.5% of the soils of papaya plantation; M. incognita and M. arenaria were mixed in 50%, while M. javanica and M. incognita were not mixed. Conducive soils to Meloidogyne spe- cies had pH 4.9 to 6.4, EC 0.1 to 0.45 dS· m -1 , OM 1.2 to 2.5 %, and sandy to sandy-loam soil texture. The pH, percentages sand and CE were positively correlated with an abundance of Meloidogyne species, whereas OM was negatively correlated. This is the first report of M. javanica, M. incognita and M. arenaria, and the mixture of M. incognita and M. arenaria in papaya plantations of Colombia.