The spectrum and inheritance of resistance to the root‐knot nematode Meloidogyne hapla was studied in the diploid species Rosa multiflora and R. indica. The host suitability of seven rose rootstocks, namely five R. multiflora (K2, K1, Floradale, CE63 and CE65) and two R. indica (CE35 and Maroc) clonal accessions, was evaluated using four geographic isolates of M. hapla. Plants grown under greenhouse conditions were tested at high and durable inoculum pressure of nematodes and rated for nematode infestation five months after inoculation on a 0–5 gall index. Different host suitabilities to M. hapla were demonstrated depending on the nematode isolates: in R. multiflora, the clone K2 had a resistant (R) response to all isolates; the clone K1 ranged from intermediate (I) (isolate ‘Canada’) to resistant (other isolates), Floradale was shown to be intermediate, whereas CE63 and CE65 were moderate to good hosts (H). In R. indica, both rootstocks were good to excellent hosts for the isolate Canada but resistant to all three other isolates, thus expressing an isolate‐specific resistance. A study on the genetics of resistance in R. multiflora to the M. hapla isolate Canada was then conducted using an incomplete diallel cross involving all previous clones except Floradale. A total of 120 hybrid individuals belonging to several progenies representing the cross combinations R × I, R × H, I × H and H × H were evaluated. Individuals of each progeny generally ranged into a monomodal distribution that suggests polygenic inheritance of resistance. In the family Rosaceae, the differences in the resistance genetics to the meiotic species M. hapla and to the mitotic species, M. arenaria, M. incognita and M. javanica are discussed in relation to the reproductive status of the nematodes.

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