Fatemeh Sadat Sayedain - Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Shahrekord, Iran
Majid Olia - Department of Plant Protection, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Shahrekord, Iran
Kamkar Jaimand - Department of Medicinal Plant, Research Institute of Forests and Rangelands, Iran

The influence of different initial inoculum densities of the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne javanica on the growth of sage (Salvia officinalis), root-knot development and nematode multiplication was investigated ۹۰ days after inoculation under greenhouse conditions. With the increase in the nematode initial inoculum densities, shoot fresh/dry weight, shoot/root length and root fresh/dry weight were decreased. The greatest reduction in growth occurred in plants inoculated with the highest density of nematodes (۱۰ˏ۰۰۰ eggs and juvenile of stage ۲.۲ kg soil). The highest reproduction rate was observed in plants inoculated with the lowest level of nematode population tested (۱ˏ۰۰۰ eggs and juvenile of stage ۲.۲ kg soil). The results on S. officinalis gave conclusive evidence of pathogenic potential of M.  javanica.

Root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne javanica, Sage, medicinal plant, Reproduction, Salvia officinalis