Taxonomic information	Current valid scientific name: Meloidogyne fallax Synonyms: Meloidogyne chitwoodi B‐type Name used in the EU legislation: Meloidogyne fallax Karssen [MELGFA] Order: Rhabditida Family: Meloidogynidae Common name: False Columbia root‐knot nematode, root gall nematode, root‐knot nematode Name used in the Dossier: Meloidogyne fallax
Group	Nematodes
EPPO code	MELGMA
Regulated status	The pest is listed in Annex II of Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 as Meloidogyne fallax Karssen [MELGFA]. The pest is included in the EPPO A2 list (EPPO, 2024a). Meloidogyne fallax is quarantine in Morocco, Moldova and Norway. It is on A1 list of Argentina, Bahrain, Brazil, Egypt, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine and EAEU (=Eurasian Economic Union – Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Russia). It is on A2 list of COSAVE (=Comite de Sanidad Vegetal del Cono Sur – Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay) (EPPO, 2024b). Meloidogyne fallax is also quarantine pest in the USA (Kantor et al., 2022). In the UK M. fallax is a regulated non‐quarantine pest in Great Britain on potato only, as this is considered to be the main host at risk (DEFRA, 2024; EPPO, 2024b; James et al., 2019) and it is a regulated quarantine pest in Northern Ireland (DEFRA, 2024).
Pest status in the UK	M. fallax is present in the UK (CABI, 2021; EPPO, 2024c) with restricted distribution and no findings associated to trees. The pest status of M. fallax in the UK is officially declared as: present, restricted distribution – under containment, in case eradication is impossible (EPPO 2024d). The nematode was first recorded in the UK in 2011 in sports turf and in 2013 in a leek crop in Staffordshire. In 2015 it has been newly recorded from sports turf in NW England and in 2018 in a carrots field in East Anglia (EPPO, 2015, 2024d; Everatt et al., 2016; James et al., 2019). The presence of M. fallax in Northern Ireland (EPPO, 2015) is no longer confirmed as it was due to a mistake (EPPO, 2024d).
Pest status in the EU	M. fallax is present in Belgium, France, Germany (transient), the Netherlands and Sweden (present, under eradication) (EPPO, 2024c, 2024d). M. fallax has been found in Ireland in the past century (1965) (Topalović et al., 2017), but it has not been reported since.
Host status on Betula pendula and B. pubescens	Betula pendula is reported as a host plant for M. fallax in field experiments (den Nijs et al., 2004). No information on B. pendula and B. pubescens as hosts of M. fallax in natural conditions was found.
PRA information	Available Pest Risk Assessments: –Pest risk assessment for the European Community plant health: a comparative approach with case studies. Cases: Meloidogyne chitwoodi and M. fallax (MacLeod et al., 2012); –UK Risk Register Details for Meloidogyne fallax (DEFRA, 2024).
Other relevant information for the assessment
Biology	M. fallax is a highly polyphagous root‐knot nematode firstly described from the Netherlands and distributed in temperate regions of the world mostly in agricultural/horticultural crops (Everatt et al., 2016). M. fallax has been found in a natural habitat in the Netherlands in 2023 (EPPO, 2024e). It is present in Africa (South Africa), Asia (Indonesia), Europe (Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Sweden, the UK), Oceania (Australia, New Zealand), South America (Chile) (CABI, 2021; EPPO, 2024c). According to MacLeod et al. (2012) M. fallax may be more widespread because it is frequently confused with similar species as M. hapla and M. chitwoodi, and not causing clear external symptoms on host plants. M. fallax has six development stages: eggs, juveniles (four stages) and adults. The nematode mainly reproduces parthenogenetically, and sexual reproduction can possibly occur under adverse conditions; like other Meloidogyne species, M. fallax has one to three generations per year depending on temperature and host availability (EFSA, 2019; MacLeod et al., 2012). Females lay up to 800–1000 eggs in gelatinous masses on the root surface, in galls and tubers. Hatching can occur at temperatures below 10°C, so that M. fallax is considered cryophilic (EFSA PLH Panel, 2020; MacLeod et al., 2012). The second‐stage juveniles move in the soil and penetrate host roots, start feeding on cortical tissues inducing the formation of root galls; they become sedentary and develop to successive stages by quick moults. The nematode can stay infective in the soil for long time, being also able to survive for more than 300 days at temperatures of 5 and 10°C, and 140 days at higher temperatures (15–25°C). Survival and infectivity may also be related to high soil humidity (100% survival with 98% RH) although in moderate dry soil conditions M. fallax may survive for more than 9 weeks (MacLeod et al., 2012). Similar to other nematode species living in the soil, M. fallax has only little spread capacity, the juvenile stages moving 1–2 m maximum per year depending on type of soil, water availability and other parameters (EFSA, 2019). Water could also disperse the nematode (mainly eggs and juveniles) at short distances. The human‐assisted spread on medium‐long distance is very frequent and effective by passive transport. Possible pathways are plants for planting with infected roots; tubers and bulbs; soil and growing media; contaminated tools, machinery, shoes and packaging material (EFSA, 2019). It is believed that outbreaks of M. fallax in the UK in leek crops and sports turf are due to introduction with infected plant waste, soil and machinery (James et al., 2019). M. fallax is known as a species of economic concern on some horticultural crops as potato and carrot, mostly in the Netherlands, but no information is available on yield losses. The main damage observed is the reduction of merchantability in potato tubers (MacLeod et al., 2012). Similarly, no significant damage was observed on strawberries (Van der Sommen et al., 2005). In the UK, reduced growth of leek plants was reported in an organic crop in Staffordshire (EPPO, 2024d). Damage caused by M. fallax in sports turf were reported in North‐western England in 2015 (EPPO, 2015; Everatt et al., 2016). No specific data about damage on B. pendula or Betula sp. was found.
Symptoms	Main type of symptoms	M. fallax is a root‐knot nematode. Heavily infested plants show stunting and yellowing on above‐ground parts and galling on roots (EFSA, 2019; MacLeod et al., 2012; Moens et al., 2009). Symptoms of root‐knot nematodes on hardwood trees may show as slow growth, sparse foliage, chlorotic leaves and crown dieback (Riffle, 1963). Symptoms on roots vary with species but should be visible as galls in advanced infections. On potato tubers, M. fallax cause brown point‐like necroses just under the skin developing into numerous small pimple‐like areas (tuber galls) on the surface (CABI, 2021; EPPO, 2019). No specific information about symptoms on B. pendula or Betula sp. was found.
	Presence of asymptomatic plants	At the early stages of infection, plants may not show any apparent symptoms on the above‐ground parts and do not show galls on the roots. In some cases, plants are wilted and lack vigour. The main impact of the pest is on root growth, and on the quality and growth of the plant (EFSA, 2019; Moens et al., 2009; MacLeod et al., 2012).
	Confusion with other pests	M. fallax is morphologically very similar to M. chitwoodi and may also be easily confused with other species as M. hapla and M. minor, often found in the same habitat. M. fallax cannot be identified on the basis of sole galls, since other soil nematode cause similar damage and some insects and bacteria can induce comparable galls on roots as well (EFSA, 2019). The nematode can be identified by laboratory tests on morphometric characters, electrophoresis or sequencing /DNA barcoding are needed (EPPO, 2016).
Host plant range	M. fallax is a polyphagous nematode with a wide host range, including several major horticultural and agricultural crops and a few species of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants. Main horticultural/agricultural hosts are: Apium graveolens, Allium porrum, Asparagus officinalis, Avena strigosa, Beta vulgaris, Cicorium endivia, Cynara scolymus, Daucus carota, Foeniculum vulgare, Fragaria ananassa, Hordeum vulgare, Lactuca sativa, Lycopersicum esculentum, Medicago sativa, Phaseolus vulgaris, Secale cereale, Solanum nigrum, S. tuberosum, Solanum spp., Triticum aestivum and Zea mays (CABI, 2021; EPPO, 2024f; MacLeod et al., 2012). Woody hosts of M. fallax are Acer palmatum, Betula pendula, Cornus sanguinea, Laburnum anagyroides, Lonicera xylosteum (Ferris, 2024; MacLeod et al., 2012). For a more exhaustive list of hosts see CABI (2021), EPPO (2024f), Ferris (2024), den Nijs et al. (2004), MacLeod et al. (2012).
Reported evidence of impact	M. fallax is an EU quarantine pest.
Evidence that the commodity is a pathway	Meloidogyne nematodes, although rarely identified at species level, are frequently intercepted on plants for planting, for example Acer palmatum, Cryptomeria sp., Diospyros kaki, Ficus sp. Fraxinus sp., Juniperus chinensis, Ligustrum sp., Punica granatum, Taxus cuspidata, Zelkova sp. (EUROPHYT, 2024; TRACES‐NT, 2024). B. pendula is a host plant of M. fallax; therefore, the commodity is a possible pathway of entry for the nematode.
Surveillance information	M. fallax is a pest not currently meeting the criteria of quarantine pest for the UK (see Regulated status). It is considered under official control only in limited outbreak areas (EPPO, 2024d). M. fallax is not included in the pest list of the Dossier, and no specific surveillance protocols are currently expected.