Extensive use of maize in crop-land rotational systems in Ghana necessitates information on its host status to economically important plant parasitic nematodes. Meloidogyne incognita is an economically important pest parasitizing maize crop. A study was carried out under plant house condition to assess the reaction of three maize varieties to M. incognita parasitism between May and July 2017. A pot experiment was mounted on a Completely Randomized Design with five replications. Meloidogyne incognita eggs extraction followed the Hussey and Barker; and Taylor and Sasser protocols after which 0 and 2000 egg inoculum levels were applied per plant. Mamaba, Obaatanpa and Abeleehi maize varieties exhibited resistance potential by suppressing reproduction, development and establishment of the obligate parasite. Gall index, stem girth, plant height and shoot dry matter weight were not significantly affected. These maize varieties could be incorporated into well planned crop-land rotational and maize breeding systems to minimize M. incognita populations’ build-up and damage to susceptible crops such as okra which follow maize in a rotation system.
Keywords: Cultural control, Okra, Zea mays, host plant resistance, phytonematodes
