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Summary

Root-knot nematodes are economically important pathogens. They establish interactions with their hosts inducing specific feeding sites in the roots. Nematicides were important means in nematode control, but since they threatened environment and human health they were banned and have to be replaced by novel control measures to meet the demands of consumers for affordable and safe food. Natural plant resistance is an available and safe option, but strongly limited by the number of available genotypes and the occurrence of resistance breaking nematode populations. A better knowledge of the molecular dialogue between plants and nematodes should open new perspectives to control these pests. Approaches based on the targeting of nematode secreted proteins or plant genes which are essential for disease development, by amiRNA and TILLING, respectively, will be presented and the first results discussed.