Cultures of the plant parasitic nematode genus Pratylenchus on sterile excised roots. I. Their establishment and maintenance

Abstract

The plant parasitic nematode Pratylenchus penetrans was axenized and pipetted onto sterile excised corn ( Zea mays) roots growing in screw-cap culture flasks. The brown lesions that resulted after 3 months were cut off with sterile microspatulas and transferred to new roots. Numbers of P. penetrans abandon severely damaged portions of roots. This fact permits one to trap nematodes in water, so that they can then be used as suspended sterile axenic inoculum. A glucose nutrient medium serves to grow corn roots that have been excised from seeds. The inorganic nutrient ratios of White's solution are revised so that the most concentrated salt is potassium chloride instead of magnesium sulfate, and traces of copper, cobalt, and molybdenum are added.