The second stage juvenile (J2) of Meloidogyne spp. spend the storaged energy of the body, differently, when living in variable conditions of soil temperatures and humidities approaching to the incapability of plant parasitism. Therefore, the aim of this work was to study the storage of J2 of M. incognita in soil at different levels of humidity and temperature, besides water bubbling of inoculum suspension on the infectivity of starved J2 in tomato. The infectivity of J2 in tomato decreased significantly among storaged temperatures during the period of six days in soil. Greatest (P<0,01) infectivity occurred when J2 was storaged at 8 ºC and least at 28 ºC. When soil humidity decreased from 30% to 5% the J2 infectivity was significantly reduced. Among all storaged temperatures tested, only at 28 ºC occurred reduction of J2 infectivity in dry soil (5%) compared to humid (30%), approaching to 98% reduction from 4 days storage of J2. When J2 was storaged in water, its mobility decreased along the storage period, following the same trend with the temperature and water bubbling increased. The infectivity of J2 storaged in water decreased as the temperature and the water bubbling increased. However at 8 ºC the water bubbling did not affect the J2 mobility.
lipid content; root parasitism; root-knot nematode; nematode reproduction