Anatomical Studies of Citrus jambhiri Lush. Roots Infected by Pratylenchus coffeae

All motile stages of Pratylenchus coffeae infected mature and immature tissues of Citrus jambhiri (rough lemon) seedling tap roots. The nematodes fed primarily in the cortex and colonized in pockets or cavities. Intra- and intercellular migration within the cortex occurred in either direction from the point of entry. When P. coffeae invaded a root tip the meristem often was destroyed and lateral root initiation usually occurred near the destroyed root tip. Males were essential for reproduction and survived at least 2 1/2 months within root tissues, but with males alone used as inoculum, no cortical pockets were formed. On infected trees in the field P. coffeae were most numerous in C. jambhiri feeder roots.     

Effects of Pratylenchus brachyurus and P. coffeae on Seedlings of Coffea arabica

Two experiments were carried out to evaluate the effects of Pratylenchus brachyurus and P. coffeae on Coffea arabica. The first experiment was conducted in a greenhouse to determine the effects of Pratylenchus brachyurus and P. coffeae on seedlings of Coffea arabica cv. Mundo Novo. Both Pratylenchus spp. reduced the growth of coffee seedlings. Higher contents of soluble sugars were detected in the leaves of infected plants. The reproduction rate of P. brachyurus was very low on cv. Mundo Novo, indicating an intolerance to this nematode. In a second experiment, C. arabica cultivars Mundo Novo and Catuaf both were intolerant hosts of P. brachyurus.     

Citrus Tree Decline Caused by Pratylenchus coffeae

The pathogenic effects of Pratylenchus coffeae on growth and yield of tangelo (Citrus paradisi × C. reticulata) scions grafted on rough lemon (C jambhiri), sour orange (C. aurantium) and ''Cleopatra'' mandarin (C. reticulata) rootstocks were evaluated under field conditions for 4 years. Pratylenchus coffeae on inoculated trees increased to significantly damaging population densities on rough lemon rootstock the second year, on sour orange the third and on Cleopatra mandarin the fourth year after planting. Mean growth reduction of P. coffeae-infected trees after 4 years was 80, 77 and 49%, respectively, for the three rootstocks. Noninoculated trees on rough lemon and sour orange rootstocks yielded significantly more fruit than comparable inoculated trees. Natural migration of P. coffeae occurred horizontally on roots for a distance of 4.5 m.     

Effects of Pratylenchus coffeae and Scutellonema bradys Alone and in Combination on Guinea Yam (Dioscorea rotundata)

When Guinea yam, Dioscorea rotundata Poir, was inoculated with Pratylenchus coffeae and Scutellonema bradys together, there was a 53% suppression of top growth, but when plants were inoculated separately there was a 29% suppression with P. coffeae and a 21% suppression with S. bradys. The reproduction of S. bradys was greatly inhibited when both nematode species were together on the same plant in comparison with that on plants inoculated with S. bradys alone. Scutellonema bradys apparently did not affect the reproduction of P. coffeae. Storage-root quality was reduced 72% by P. coffeae but only 20% by S. bradys. The two species together resulted in a reduction in storage-root quality of 84%. Although the Guinea yam is a good host of P. coffeae and S. bradys, our results indicate that P. coffeae is responsible for most of the storage-root deterioration and dry rot of yam in Puerto Rico.     

Comparative Influence of Radopholus similis and Pratylenchus coffeae on Citrus

Pratylenchus coffeae was as pathogenic as Radopholus sirnilis to commercial citrus rootstocks. No rootstock resistant to R. similis was resistant to P. coffeae. Both nematodes stunted citrus in three soil types. Seedling damage by P. coffeae and R. similis was greatest in fine- and coarse-textured soils, respectively. Reproduction and survival on citrus were greater for P. coffeae than for R. similis. Mixed inoculations with R. similis and P. coffeae resulted in lower populations of each species than did separate inoculations.     

Use of Root Organ Cultures To Investigate the Interaction between Glomus intraradices and Pratylenchus coffeae

The interaction between Glomus intraradices and Pratylenchus coffeae on transformed carrot roots was studied in root organ culture. G. intraradices provided the roots with increased protection against P. coffeae by suppressing nematode reproduction in the roots. The internal and external mycorrhizal development was not influenced by the presence of the nematodes.     

Intraspecific Morphological Variation Among Populations of Pratylenchus brachyurus and P. coffeae

Three populations of Pratylenchus coffeae and two of P. brachyurus, each originating from a single female, were maintained on Citrus spp. or Solanum nigrum L. for several years under greenhouse conditions. Nematodes were extracted from roots, and adult female specimens were killed, fixed, and mounted in glycerine for microscopic study. Variables measured were distance between vulva and anus and lengths of the stylet, posterior uterine sac, and tail. The mean data and coefficients of variability suggest that styler length had the least variability, and length of posterior uterine sac the most. When males and distinct spermathecae are not evident in P. coffeae populations, the species can he distinguished from P. brachyurus by a shorter mean stylet length, longer mean posterior uterine sac length, and much longer distance between the vulva and anus.     

Pathogenicity of Pratylenchus coffeae,Scutellonema bradys,Meloidogyne incognita,and Rotylenchus reniformis on Dioscorea rotundata

Low populations (200 specimens per plant) of Pratylenchus cofl''eae, Scutellonema bradys, Meloidogyne incognita, and Rotylenchulus reniformis stimulated the development of tops, roots, and tubers of Dioscorea rotundata "Guinea" yam. We demonstrated experimentally that P. coffeae was responsible for the deterioration in quality of the yam tuber in Puerto Rico, a condition known as a dry rot of yam. Initial populations of 600 P. coffeae, S. bradys, or M. incognita, and populations of 1,000 P. coffeae or S. bradys per plant were high enough to induce dry rot of the yam tubers. P. coffeae and S. bradys were pathogenic to yam cultivar Guinea, but M. incognita and R. reniformis did not cause necrosis or cracking of the tuber cortex in our experiments.     

Biology and Pathogenicity of Pratylenchus neglectus on Alfalfa

Pratylenchus neglectus reduced the growth of alfalfa cultivars in greenhouse and growth chamber studies. Inocula (1,000, 5,000 and 10,000 nematodes per plant) reduced shoot dry weights of Ranger by 16, 27, and 40%, of Lahontan by 16, 32, and 40%, and of Nevada Synthetic XX (Nev Syn XX) by 18, 26, and 37%, respectively, at 26 ñ 2 C. Pratylenchus neglectus at 1,000 nematodes per plant reduced Ranger shoot dry weights by 5, 12, 18, and 27%, at 15, 20, 25, and 30 C, respectively, whereas 5,000 nematodes per plant reduced shoot dry weights by 12, 17, 26, and 38%, respectively, at similar temperatures. Reductions in dry root weights were directly related to reductions in shoot growth. At 1,000 nematodes per plant, Ranger root dry weights were reduced by 3, 14, 40, and 40%, whereas 5,000 nematodes per plant reduced root dry weight by 25, 31, 59, and 63%, respectively, at similar temperatures. Similar results were observed on Lahontan and Nev Syn XX at the same inoculum levels and soil temperatures. Nematode reproductive indices (final nematode population per plant divided by initial nematode inoculum per plant) were higher at 1,000 nematodes per plant than at 5,000 nematodes per plant, were positively correlated with temperature, and were unaffected by cultivar.     

Hot water immersion of Allium hookeri roots for the control of the plant parasitic nematodes Meloidogyne javanica and Pratylenchus coffeae

Nematodes are important quarantine pests of bulbous plants such as hooker chives. Although control methods such as fumigation, chemical immersion, and heat are often applied, it has proved difficult to disinfect nematodes from plant roots in quarantine. As heat treatment has been successfully useful for the control of nematodes in other agricultural products in quarantine, we investigated the susceptibility and mortality rates of Meloidogyne javanica and Pratylenchus coffeae, which infest hooker chive roots, using a hot water immersion method. Heat damage to the hooker chive roots was noticeable at temperatures over 50°C. Temperatures for the effective time to kill 99% at 1 min (ET99) for M. javanica and P. coffeae juveniles were 49.3°C and 49.1°C, respectively. However, the time to kill 99% of M. javanica eggs at 48°C and 49°C were 27.0 min and 8.3 min, respectively. Using a thermal equilibrium formula, the optimum commercial scale condition, in a 1400‐L chamber, for nematode control without associated plant damage was water immersion at 48.2°C for 30 min or at 49.2°C for 13 min with a filling ratio less than 12%. This result can be applicable for the nematode disinfestation of hooker chive roots in plant quarantine.     

Effects of Pratylenchus coffeae—Tylenchulus semipenetrans Interactions on Nematode Population Dynamics in Citrus

The distributions of Pratylenchus coffeae and Tylenchulus semipenetrans in a central Florida citrus grove were mutually exclusive. In a challenge experiment conducted in the grove, indigenous populations of either species did not prevlude infection by the other species. Inoculation with either T. semipenetrans or P. coffeae tended to reduce the population size of the other nematode species. In greenhouse tests, individual feeder roots were parasitized predominantly by one or the other of the two species. Host response to parasitism in dual infections did not differ from response to single infection by either species.     

Interaction Between Pratylenchus coffeae and Pythium aphanidermatum and/or Rhizoctonia solani on Chrysanthemum*

The interaction between Pratylenchus coffeae and Pythium aphanidermatum and/or Rhizoctonia solani on chrysanthemum and the influence of farmyard manure (FYM) on it was studied under pot conditions. The disease caused by P. aphanidermatum or R. solani was significantly high at varying inoculum levels of Pratylenchus coffeae. The severiy further increased when nematode infected plants were inoculated with both the fungi together. Organic manuring also influenced the disease severity which was greatest in soils containing 200% organic manure. The nematode population significantly increased in presence of R. solani, decreased in presence of P. aphanidermatum and remained unaffected when both the fungi occurred together around the plants. The nematode population was greatly reduced in soils containing 200% organic manure.     

Effect of temperature on the in vitro reproductive fitness of Pratylenchus coffeae populations from Vietnam

The in vitro reproductive fitness on carrot discs of 10 Pratylenchus coffeae populations collected from different agricultural crops in different agro-ecological regions in Vietnam was studied and compared with the reproductive fitness of a P. coffeae population from Ghana. Few major differences in in vitro reproductive fitness on carrot discs among the 10 P. coffeae populations from Vietnam examined (with the exception of one population originally isolated from the roots of an unidentified ornamental tree and one population originally isolated from banana), and between these populations and the P. coffeae population originally isolated from banana in Ghana were observed. Our observations indicate that although the optimum temperature for reproduction of three P. coffeae populations from Vietnam examined is 25?°C to, at least, 30?°C, these populations are also tolerant to low temperatures (15–20?°C) enabling them to survive the low temperatures which occur during the winter in the northern and central parts of Vietnam.     

Rearing Migratory Endoparasitic Nematodes in Citrus Callus and Roots Produced from Citrus Leaves

Radopholus similis and Pratylenchus coffeae were reared on callus and roots developed from citrus leaves. Callus formed best when leaf petioles were immersed in Astatula fine sand and the leaves were sprayed daily with 4 ppm 2,4-D solution and maintained at 25 or 30 C. The nematodes completed one generation in 20 days at 25 C. Highest populations of R. similis (1,127) occurred after 50 days, and the highest for P. coffeae (619) after 70 days. Leaf-callus cultures from R. similis-resistant citrus rootstocks showed the same degree of infection as susceptible rough lemon callus after 30 days.     

Population Fluctuation of Three Parasitic Nematodes in Florida Citrus

In Florida, Tylenchulus semipenetrans on citrus has two high and two low population levels each year. High levels occur in April-May and November-December, and low levels, in February-March and August-September. Population increases occur about 4-5 weeks after the spring and fall flush of root growth. Populations of Pratylenchus coffeae on citrus varied widely, and were not related to season. Populations of P. brachyurus showed seasonal variation with a high in June-July and a low in March-May. Males of T. semipenetrans and P. coffeae were found throughout the year, whereas males of P. brachyurus were rare and were found only during November and December.     

Pathological Effects of Pratylenchus neglectus on Wheatgrasses

In controlled greenhouse and growth chamber studies, Pratylenchus neglectus reduced dry shoot and dry root weight of rangeland grasses. Greenar intermediate wheatgrass and Secar Snake River wheatgrass were more susceptible to P. neglectus than Hycrest crested wheatgrass, Fairway crested wheatgrass, and Nordan crested wheatgrass at a greenhouse bench temperature of 26 ± 3 C. Hycrest was the most tolerant to parasitism by P. neglectus. An initial nematode inoculum density of four nematodes/cm³ soil reduced dry shoot weights of Hycrest, Fairway, Nordan, Greenar, and Secar by 22%, 33%, 36%, 47%, and 49%, and reduced dry root weights by 26%, 31%, 32%, 38%, and 42%. There was a positive relationship between dry root weight, the nematode inoculum density, and the nematode reproduction index (final nematode population/initial nematode inoculum). However, there were more nematodes/g root tissue on Secar than on the crested wheatgrasses, and significantly more nematodes/g root tissue on Greenar, Fairway, and Nordan than on Hycrest. Pratylenchus neglectus was most pathogenic at four nematodes/cm³ soil at 30 C and least pathogenic at one nematode/cm³ soil at 15 C. Greenar and Secar were more susceptible to the nematode than Hycrest, Fairway, and Nordan at two and four nematodes/cm³ soil at 20 to 30 C. The nematode reproductive indices were greatest at 30 C and were positively correlated with dry root weight. Secar supported the most and Hycrest had the fewest nematodes/g root.     

Reactions of Grape Rootstocks to Pratylenchus vulnus and Meloidogyne spp.

Five grape rootstocks were inoculated with 0, 100, 1,000, and 10,000 Pratylenchus vulnus. Dogridge and Saltcreek supported low average total numbers of P. vulnus, 136-705/pot, at 12 months after inoculation. Growth of both rootstocks was not affected. Harmony, Couderc 1613, and Ganzin 1 supported high average total numbers, 6-856 times the inoculum levels. Numbers in Harmony continued to increase at all levels but reduced root weight only at the 10,000 level after 12 months. Numbers in Couderc 1613 decreased by 15-30% after 12 months, and root weight was reduced at the 10,000 level. In Ganzin 1, total nematode numbers diminished after 12 months but were still at high levels; growth reduction was proportional to numbers of nematodes added. Meloidogyne incognita, M. javanica, and M. arenaria produced galls and egg masses in Harmony and Couderc 1613 only at 36 C. Galling in Ganzin 1 increased with increasing temperature. Galls in Ganzin 1 at 18 C supported mature females after 90 days. Harmony was resistant to M. incognita in single and concomitant inoculations of P. vulnus and M. incognita. At 250 days after inoculation, total numbers of P. vulnus increased above the inoculum level and the 150-day values; increase was greatest in P. vulnus added singly. Neither nematode species affected growth of Harmony.     

Host-range Characterization of Two Pratylenchus coffeae Isolates from Brazil

Two isolates of Pratylenchus coffeae were collected from coffee roots (in Marília, São Paulo State, Brazil) and Aglaonema (in Rio de Janeiro City, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil) and maintained in the laboratory on alfalfa callus. Twenty-four plants were tested in the greenhouse to characterize the host preference of these isolates. The host ranges of the isolates differed from each other and, interestingly, coffee, banana, and citrus were not among the better hosts of either isolate. Rather, sorghum, maize, rice, millet, okra, melon, eggplant, and lettuce were the best hosts of the Marília isolate. Poor hosts included French marigold, Rangpur lime, banana, sesame, peanut, sunflower, cotton, French bean, onion, and small onion. The best hosts of the Rio de Janeiro isolate were sesame, soybean, sorghum, castor oil plant, watermelon, squash, eggplant, and melon; the poorest hosts were French marigold, coffee, Rangpur lime, banana, sunflower, peanut, maize, millet, French bean, cotton, onion, sweet pepper, lettuce, okra, and small onion. These isolates have important molecular and morphological differences, suggesting host preference is linked to these characteristics.     

Influence of Soil Temperature and pH on Pratylenchus Penetrans and P. crenatus in Alfalfa and Timothy

Numbers of Pratylenchus penetrans in alfalfa and timothy, and to a lesser extent P. crenatus in timothy, increased substantially as temperature increased from about l0 C to 30 C. However, P. crenatus in alfalfa decreased in number as temperature increased. Mobility of P. crenatus in vertical soil columns decreased as temperature increased from 9.5 C to 28.5 C. Raising the soil pH from 5.0 to 6.9 in which alfalfa was grown increased the numbers of P. penetrans and greatly reduced the numbers of P. crenatus. The numbers of both nematode species in timothy were reduced significantly as soil pH was increased. The optimum soil pH for movement of P. penetrans was 6.0. Pratylenchus crenatus moved equally well over a range of pH 5.0 to 7.0.     

Population Dynamics of Pratylenchus penetrans,Paratylenchus sp., and Criconemella xenoplax on Western Oregon Peppermint

Endoparasitic nematode populations are usually measured separately for soil and roots without a determination of the quantitative relation between soil and root population components. In this study, Pratylenchus penetrans populations in peppermint soil, roots, and rhizomes were expressed as the density within a standardized core consisting of 500 g dry soil plus the roots and rhizomes contained therein. Populations of Paratylenchus sp. and Criconemella xenoplax in 500 g dry soil were also determined, thus measuring the total plant-parasitic nematode population associated with the plant. Mean wet root weight per standard core peaked in spring and again in late summer and was lowest early in the growing season and in early fall. Pratylenchus penetrans populations peaked 4 to 6 weeks after root weight peaks. The percentage of the total population in roots reached 70% to 90% in early April, decreased to 20% to 40% in August, and returned to higher percentages during the winter. Rhizomes never contained more than a minor proportion of the population. Mean Paratylenchus sp. populations increased through spring and peaked in late August. Mean C. xenoplax populations fluctuated, peaking in August or September. Populations of all parasitic species were lowest during winter. Evaluation using the standard core method permits assessment of the total P. penetrans population associated with the plant and of changes in root weight as well as the seasonal distribution of P. penetrans.