Diversity and Structure of Plant-Parasitic Nematode Communities in Some Olive Nurseries Along the Coastal Region of Syria

Abstract

Ali, N. 2024. Diversity and Structure of Plant-Parasitic Nematode Communities in Some Olive Nurseries Along the Coastal Region of Syria. Arab Journal of Plant Protection, 42(3): 281-290. https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-001258 Olive is one of the most important economic crops in Syria. Nurseries are often the main source for pathogens dissemination in olive orchards, especially soil-borne organisms such as Verticillium and plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN), and investigating their occurrence and distribution in olive nurseries seems of great importance. No scientific data on the distribution of PPN in olive nurseries along the Syrian coastal region is available. Therefore, the present study was conducted in order to: (i) explore for the first time the occurrence and diversity of PPN communities distributed in some olive nurseries along the Syrian coastal region, and (ii) compare the nematode diversity and their community structure between two olive varieties. One hundred eight soil samples were collected from different nurseries in Latakia and Tartous governorates, from two common olive varieties Khdiry and Qaissy. Taxonomical and functional indices were calculated and compared between olive varieties and soil mixture used. The community structure was defined by using principal component analysis (PCA). The results revealed the wide distribution of PPN in olive nurseries with a total of 17 genera identified. Aphelenchoides, Aphelenchus, Ditylenchus and Tylenchorhynchus were the most common. Impact of olive varieties or soil mixture on functional diversity was observed, but not on the taxonomical indices. PCA also revealed a distinct structure of communities in each of the two olive varieties as well as in the soil mixture. Economically important genera such as Meloidogyne and Pratylenchus were also recorded with high population densities in some nurseries, suggesting the inevitable introduction of such nematodes to olive orchards. Certification programs for plant propagation materials in nurseries seem extremely important to be adopted in Syrian nurseries to ensure the production and distribution of “healthy” seedlings to growers. Keywords: Diversity, nurseries, olive varieties; plant-parasitic nematodes, soil mixture, Syria