Susceptibility of different accessions of Crotalaria juncea to Belonolaimus longicaudatus

Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea) has been used as a cover crop in rotation with various vegetable crops, providing benefits such as nitrogen fixation, weed control, and nematode suppression. The sting nematode (Belonolaimus longicaudatus) is one of the most damaging plant-parasitic nematodes in Florida. The host status of different accessions of sunn hemp to the sting nematode was evaluated in the greenhouse. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with a factorial arrangement of treatments. Factors were accessions of C. juncea plus corn (Zea mays) as a sting nematode-susceptible control with or without the sting nematode. Plant height, growth stage (number of leaves), fresh biomass of shoots, dry mass of roots, leaf area, and the reproduction of the sting nematode were recorded. Of 11 accessions tested, PI 322377 was the only sunn hemp accession that supported a greater population of sting nematodes than the best treatments (accessions without nematode reproduction). All of the other sunn hemp accessions suppressed sting nematode populations in comparison with corn.