Meloidogyne chitwoodi and Meloidogyne fallax in France: initial management experiences

Since 2008, the French NPPO has been controlling two outbreaks of Meloidogyne chitwoodi and Meloidogyne fallax, in Picardie (open fields) and in Bretagne (glasshouses). Intensive investigations have been undertaken to delimit these outbreaks and to help formulate the best control management strategy to adopt in these two very different situations. In open fields, eradication measures have been implemented, with bare fallow in infested fields being adopted as the main measure, despite the impact on affected growers and high financial cost. Recently, soil analyses in fields after 2 years of bare fallow showed that neither M. chitwoodi nor M. fallax was detected in 99% of cases, and measures have now been reduced: crops such as cereals are now allowed in these fields, but no tubers or root crops can be grown. Under glasshouses, eradication was not considered feasible and so a containment strategy was followed. An extensive national survey of susceptible crops has also been carried out for early detection of possible new outbreaks.