Association of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes and Soil Physicochemical Properties in Tomatoes in Turfloop, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Turfloop constitutes an area in Mankweng, situated in the Limpopo Province of South Africa, where several villages are home to smallholder farmers who specialize in vegetable farming. Among the most crucial crops cultivated in this region is tomato, a fruit that has gained significant commercial importance due to its high demand and versatility in various culinary applications. To determine the relationship of plant-parasitic nematodes and soil physicochemical properties, soil samples were collected from tomato fields. Overall, our results showed that seven nematode genera were in the tomato fields. There was a significant positive correlation between the number of <i>Meloidogyne</i> and potassium (<i>r</i> = 0.903) and a negative correlation with Na (<i>r</i> = −0.684). In contrast, there was no association between the number of <i>Meloidogyne</i> spp. and the pH and texture of the fields. The number of <i>Criconema</i> in the field was negatively correlated with pH (<i>r</i> = −0.732). Soil texture percentages, including clay (<i>r</i> = 0.744), sand (<i>r</i> = −0.744), and silt (<i>r</i> = 0.706), were only correlated with the number of <i>Criconema</i>. The number of dagger nematodes, <i>Xiphinema</i>, was only correlated negatively with NH₄⁺ (<i>r</i> = −0.589) and positively with boron (B) (<i>r</i> = 0.779). None of the soil variables were correlated with the number of <i>Pratylenchus</i>. The principal component analysis (PCA) placed soil samples of tomatoes together, in which the number of <i>Meloidogyne</i> was not correlated to any soil sample site. In conclusion, plant-parasitic nematodes that were associated with tomatoes are of high economic importance as they can reduce the yield. <i>Criconema</i> was found to be sensitive to the soil’s physicochemical properties. In addition, <i>Helicotylenchus</i> was found in all soil samples. Our results suggest that the plant-parasitic nematodes in tomatoes have high diversity with the potential to reduce crop production.