First Record of the Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne africana on Albizia Trees in Karbala, Iraq

Albizia (Albizia odoratissima) trees in (Al-Husayniyah, University of Karbala, and Al-Hur,) Karbala province, Iraq were found with symptoms of yellowing, stunting, and galls in the roots, symptoms typical of infestation with root-knot nematodes. Morphological and molecular methods were used to identify the nematode species. Morphological characteristics and perineal patterns of the adults fit the description of Meloidogyne africana. Moreover, the molecular analysis (PCR), of all screened samples with the specific primer 194/195 set also produced a 667-bp fragment, confirming that the root-knot nematodes isolated from albizia roots were M. africana. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of M. africana infecting albizia trees in Iraq.