{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,13]],"date-time":"2026-02-13T06:15:44Z","timestamp":1770963344758,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]],"date-time":"2026-02-11T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1770768000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology"},{"name":"FCT I.P.","award":["UID\/04050\/2025"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/04050\/2025"]}]},{"name":"FCT","award":["UID\/BIA\/04004\/2020"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["UID\/BIA\/04004\/2020"]}]},{"name":"ReNATURE initiative\u2014Valorization of the Natural Endogenous Resources of the Centro Region","award":["Centro-01-0145-FEDER-000007"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["Centro-01-0145-FEDER-000007"]}]},{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100008530","name":"European Regional Development Fund","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100008530","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"crossref"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Agronomy"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) has become a globally important crop, with A. chinensis var. deliciosa cv. Hayward being the most widely cultivated cultivar. Root-knot nematodes (RKNs, Meloidogyne spp.) are highly damaging plant parasites that are widespread in Portugal. Meloidogyne hapla predominates in the major production areas and occasionally co-occurs with M. arenaria and M. hispanica; however, the effects of these RKNs on kiwifruit performance and yield remain largely unclear. This study evaluated the reaction of Hayward and Tomuri cultivars to different Meloidogyne spp. and inoculum levels, focusing on plant\u2013nematode interactions with distinct M. hapla populations. Kiwifruit\u2019s reaction to RKN parasitism varied according to both the Meloidogyne spp. and the intraspecific variability of M. hapla. Meloidogyne arenaria and M. hispanica caused different impacts in kiwifruit cultivars. Intraspecific variation in M. hapla influenced the host reaction, with certain populations showing high parasitic rates. Gall numbers increased with M. hapla inoculum density, indicating that higher nematode populations intensify pressure on the host. Although few differences were observed between cultivars, M. arenaria had a greater impact on cv. Hayward (female), while M. hispanica affected cv. Tomuri (male) more strongly, showing the importance of investigating cultivar- and sex-specific responses to RKNs for effective management in kiwifruit. These findings highlight that susceptibility and tolerance in kiwifruit depend on the RKN species identity, intraspecific variability, population density and cultivar-specific responses, emphasizing the complexity of host\u2013nematode interactions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/agronomy16040426","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]],"date-time":"2026-02-11T09:15:12Z","timestamp":1770801312000},"page":"426","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Meloidogyne spp. Population Diversity and Inoculum Density Influence Parasitism of Kiwifruit Plants"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"A. Rita","family":"Gon\u00e7alves","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"CBMA\u2014Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Biology Department, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"},{"name":"University of Coimbra, Centre for Functional Ecology\u2014Science for People and the Planet (CFE), Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, Cal\u00e7ada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"given":"I. Luci","family":"Concei\u00e7\u00e3o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"University of Coimbra, Centre for Functional Ecology\u2014Science for People and the Planet (CFE), Associate Laboratory TERRA, Department of Life Sciences, Cal\u00e7ada Martim de Freitas, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0100-1518","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Sofia R.","family":"Costa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"CBMA\u2014Centre of Molecular and Environmental Biology, Biology Department, University of Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,2,11]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Morton, J. (1987). Kiwifruit: Actinidia deliciosa. Fruits of Warm Climates, Julia F. Morton."},{"key":"ref_2","unstructured":"Moughan, J.P., and McCool, P. (2011). The kiwifruit story. 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