Development of Meloidogyne arenaria on Oriental Melon (Cucumis melo L.) in Relation to Degree-day Accumulation Under Greenhouse Conditions

Influence of soil temperature [accumulated degree-day for the base temperature $5^{\circ}$($\textrm{DD}_5$)] on the development of Meloidogyne arenaria were studied in a winter grown oriental melon greenhouse in Seongju, Korea. Egg masses were first observed on roots at the accumulation of 565 $\textrm{DD}_5$(40 days after transplanting), suggesting that the nematode has completed the first generation in 40 days. Second-stage juveniles (J2) densities were lowest at 863 $\textrm{DD}_5$ in April, first increased at 1,334 $\textrm{DD}_5$ in May, peaked at 2,951 $\textrm{DD}_5$ in July, and decliner thereafter. Development of egg masses and J2 density in soil revealed that M. arenaria could develop in 7-8 generations in a year in the greenhouse. Degree-day monitoring, therefore, could aid to predict nematode development in soil and can be valuable tool a to develop root-knot nematode control strategies.