The use of protein gel electrophoresis for the detection of host plant resistance in cotton to the root-knot nematode

Thirty-two germplasm sources of Gossypi um hi rsutum L. were inoculated with 1,000 larvae of Meloidogyne incognita (Chitwood) for six days. Root segments were excised and electrophoretically separated for protein content. Results show that resistant cotton plants respond to infection by root-knot nematodes quicker and more intensely than susceptible cotton plants. The most common type of protein band variation observed was in the darkness and thickness of various bands, and individual bands did not change uniformly among germplasms. These results indicate that polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis can be used to eliminate cotton plants which are susceptible to the root-knot nematode and can become a practical means to enhance the development of nematode resistant cultivars on the Texas High Plains.