Amplification products were obtained from five M. incognita populations from different origins whereas DNA from M. fallax, M. javanica, M. arenaria, M. chitwoodi and M. hapla was not amplified. DNA extracted from different materials (females, root galls and spiked soil) could easily be used for M. incognita detection. One female gave sufficient amount of DNA for detection. Together with mitochondrial DNA this is one of the first attempts to use a gene outside of ITS regions for species specific PCR in the genus Meloidogyne.