author(s)
Mukesh Kumar Patra and Dhirendra Kumar Nayak

abstract
Twenty five tomato varieties were screened to study their reactions to root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) and the nematode reproduction in the nematode induced pot culture experiment. At 30 days after nematode inoculation, whole plants were uprooted, washed and ranked for root galling on the basis of root-knot index (1-5 scales). All the tomato varieties had shown varying degree of responses. Out of 25 varieties screened, only two varieties were resistant with least gall number (4-6 galls/plant), one variety was moderately resistant (25 galls/plant), nine varieties were susceptible (32-66 galls/plant) and eleven were highly susceptible (105-132 galls/pant). Due to infection of root-knot nematode, the maximum average shoot length of tomato varieties was 60.43 cm in variety Banki local. The decrease in shoot length was more pronounced with 23.43 cm in Utkala kumari variety, which was statistically different from other varieties. The decrease possibly due to improper uptake and transport of elements, nutrients and water resulted from nematode infection. The decrease in shoot weight (8.53 g) and dry root weight (0.40 g) of the tomato varieties, Utkala kumari and Utkala dipti was significantly different from the rest varieties possible reason for reduction of shoot weight and root weight in infected plant may be due to improper supply of nutrients resulting from nematode infection for which it is compensated to some extent in resistant varieties.