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Root-knot nematodes (RKN; Meloidogyne spp.), a major plant pathogen of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.), causes yield loss in various tomato cultivars. Climatic conditions affect RKN infection; however, the effect of subtropical climate on epidemic RKN that have affected winter tomatoes in China is poorly known. In order to investigate the dynamics of the RKN populations in the rhizosphere soil of winter tomato and to analyze the relationship between grafted and non-grafted tomatoes and their yields, field experiments were conducted at the towns of Shuangqiao and Taiping in Guangxi Province, China during 2014-2016. The experimental fields of early and late sowing tomatoes were located at Shuangqiao and Taiping, respectively. ANOVA and means comparison (Tukey; p£0.05) were performed by using SPSS software version 19.0. Results showed that RKN (Meloidogyne incognita) had three generations in early and late sowing tomatoes. In early sowing tomato at: 0-31, 32-113, and 114-155 d after transplanting (DAT) RKN generations occurred at 31, 81, and 28-42 d respectively. In late sowing tomato, there were three generations at 0-60, 47-101, and 88-157 DAT, nematode needed 46-60, 40, and 55 d to finish each generation. Some nematicides were applied to suppress J2s populations in the fields when the J2 populations peaked. The yield of grafted tomato was significantly higher than that of non-grafted tomato (p£0.05). This result suggested that tolerance to RKN in grafted tomato rootstock was higher than that in non-grafted tomato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]