In September 2011, diseased Bitter Melon plants showing
above-ground symptoms of wilting and dying (Fig. 1)
were observed on a farm at Buckley Road, Humpty Doo,
Darwin. These symptoms could have been due to several
root pathogens, of which nematodes were only one. The
root systems of the plants were examined and found to
be heavily infected with root-knot nematodes (100 % of
root system) forming large coalescing root galls (Fig. 2).
The infected root samples were sent to CSIRO Ecosystem
Sciences in Canberra, for root-knot nematode species
diagnosis