Extraction of Cysts and Eggs of Heterodera schachtii from Soil with an Assessment of Extraction Efficiency

Techniques are described for the extraction and enumeration of cysts and contained eggs from soil samples. The average recovery of cysts from seeded soil samples of differing soil texture was 82.7 ± 2.1%. Recovery from sandy clay soil samples seeded at 1 cyst/100 g soil was 63.4 ± 5.5%; at 4.2 cysts/100 g soil recovery was 89.6 ± 1.8%. Recovery of cysts from naturally infested clay soil was 88.3 ± 2.05%. Egg extraction efficiency for seeded samples was calculated as 78%, and for naturally infested soil was estimated as 83%.