Rotylenchulus reniformis, a plant-parasitic nematode of national and international concern
Edward C McGawley
Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, USA
: J Plant Physiol Pathol
Abstract
Plant parasitic nematodes (PPN) are integral and diverse components of agricultural ecosystems. Approximately 4,000 species in 125 genera are worldwide in distribution and account for annual losses of 115 billion US dollars (FAO, 2014). Globally, PPN species in the genera Meloidogyne, Heterodera/Globodera and Rotylenchulus are the most damaging. Fortunately, except in the case of reniform nematode (Rotylenchulus reniformis, Rr), the availability of resistant crop cultivars provides producers with a management tool to help protect against endemic populations. Despite 15 years of research, breeders and nematologists have had minimal success in identifying sources of germplasm effective against Rr. There are a few commercial cultivars of soybean with tolerance to this nematode and no cotton cultivars with either tolerance or resistance. The most severe yield losses to reniform nematode are observed in the states of Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, and Tennessee. Depending upon the level of infestation, cultivars grown, and environmental conditions, yield losses caused by this nematode be as high as 40%. In 2010 and 2011, research with this nematode conducted in the McGawley lab of the Agricultural center of Louisiana State University demonstrated for the first time that there are definable virulence phenotypes among populations of Rr within the state of Louisiana as well as across the southern United States (Nematropica 40:275-288 and 41:12-22). Current research is directed at the development of an abbreviated host differential assay using soilless plant growth pouches and molecular techniques such as single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP’s) and DNA sequence analysis to differentiate among endemic populations of Rr.
Biography
Email: emcgawley@agctr.lsu.edu
