Identification, distribution, and hosts of spp. infecting horticultural crops in Florida, USA with focus on .

Many root-knot nematode (RKN) species in the genus occur in Florida, including , a species able to overcome RKN resistance genes in many crops. The distribution of these nematodes in horticultural crops is not well known. A RKN survey was conducted in South and Central Florida aiming to: (i) identify RKN infecting vegetables, fruit, and other crops; (ii) document host plants; (iii) determine RKN distribution; and (iv) gain insight on the relatedness of obtained in this study with other populations from the USA and other countries.

First Report of Infecting Strawberry ( × ) in the United States.

Strawberry ( × ) is native to temperate regions. However, it has been produced in tropical areas, as a seasonal crop including in Florida, USA during the winter months. In March 2022, root galls resembling those induced by root-knot nematodes ( spp.