Investigations on physiological responses of plants to nematode are usually carried out with plants inoculated with high number of eggs or second-stage juveniles. On the other hand, resistance against nematodes in plant breeding programs is evaluated with low number of inoculum. The aim of this research was to study some physiological responses of cotton plants inoculated with low inoculum levels of Meloidogyne incognita race 3. Two cultivars were used, Acala and IAC-20, susceptible and moderately resistant hosts respectively. Seedlings with 500 or 5,000 eggs were compared with control plants at 90 days post inoculation. The following aspects were assessed: shoot and root masses, photosynthesis, activity of the enzyme nitrate reductase, and chlorophyll and soluble sugar contents. At 90 days a water stress was imposed to some plants and the leaf water potentials determined. At 5,000 eggs, 'Acala' had a shoot reduction (leafmass). With 500 eggs, there was an estimulation of shoot growth in both cultivars, as revealed by a shootmass increase There was a clear increase on root growth of 'Acala' which was directly related to the inoculum levels. This response was probably caused by emission of new secondary roots and nematode galls formation. Chlorophyll and sugar content, and photosynthesis increased with the increase of inoculum levels, suggesting a response to support root growth in 'Acala'. In 'IAC-20' these higher values would be related with the energy demanded by defense mechanisms against the nematode. The imposed water stress caused a decrease on leaf water potential in 'IAC-20', but an increase in 'Acala' with increasing inoculum levels. The observed increase in the later cultivar might be related with the root growth, mainly due to emission of new secondary roots, while 'IAC 20' water stress response, would be considered as a pattern.
cotton; Gossypium hirsutum; nematode; Meloidogyne incognita; physiological effects; inoculum level
