A Method for Estimating Numbers of Eggs of Meloidogyne spp. in Soil.

A procedure for extracting eggs of Meloidogyne spp. from soil was developed by modifying and combining certain existing techniques. Egg masses were elutriated from the soft, gelatinous matrices of the egg masses were dissolved, and the dispersed eggs were stained to facilitate counting. Data on egg population densities thus obtained facilitate the study of population dynamics of Meloidogyne spp. and the analysis of root-knot epidemics.