Plant species of Solanaceae family are affected by numerous pathogens worldwide. Among them is the root-knot nematode which hinders the establishment of crops in the field, reducing their production capacity. This work aims to select Solanaceae species tolerant or resistant to root-knot nematode under the climatic conditions of Fortaleza, Ceará. Two experiments were performed. For both, the followings were evaluated: 'Santa Clara' tomato, hybrid 'T92', cherry 'Carolina' and 'Laranja'; gilo ‘Comprido Grande Rio’; eggplant ‘Comprida Roxa’; Pepper 'Cayenne'; and chili 'All Big'. Each treatment had six replicates. In the first trial, the number of twigs and egg masses per root, the aboveground height and fresh root weight at 60 days after inoculation (DAI) were evaluated. In the second trial, the reproduction factor of the 130 DAI, total number and weight of fruits, as well as productivity were evaluated. The tomato ‘Santa Clara', 'Carolina', 'Laranja', the eggplant and gilo had the major infestations of Meloidogyne incognita; however, only tomato 'Santa Clara showed decreased productivity among all the cultivars. On the other hand, in the hybrid 'T92' and chili, there was no nematode reproduction, no eggs mass and reproduction factor was zero. Thus, it is concluded that Pepper 'Cayenne', 'All big' Chili 'All Big' and 'T92' hybrid tomato are immune to Meloidogyne incognita, so they can be tested in resistant rootstock trials for susceptible commercial tomato plants.

 

Key words: Root-knot nematode, Solanum lycopersicum, Solanum melongena, Capsicum annuum, Solanum gilo, Meloidogyne incognita.