Effects of potato-cyst nematodes (Globodera pallida) and soil pH on root growth, nutrient uptake and crop growth of potato

Abstract

Potato-cyst nematodes (Globodera pallida) cause severe yield losses in potato. Plants infected with potato-cyst nematodes generally have reduced concentrations of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the foliage. This study investigated whether reduced growth of nematode-infected potato is caused by nutrient limitation. Experiments in the field and in containers showed that phosphorus concentration correlated best with total crop biomass at early stages of growth. The role of phosphorus in nematode damage was further investigated in the field and in the Wageningen Rhizolab. The experimental field was infested with potato-cyst nematodes and two levels of nematode density were established by fumigation with a nematicide. Prior applications of calcium carbonate resulted in pHKCl levels of 4.8 and 6.1. Two levels of phosphorus fertiliser were applied: either 0 or 225 kg P ha−1. In the Wageningen Rhizolab, soil of both pH levels from the field was used after treatment with 1 MRad gamma irradiation to kill the nematodes. Subsequently, half of the soil was inoculated with cysts to give a nematode density of 30 viable juveniles per gram of soil. In the field, nine weeks after planting, the total crop biomass ranged from 107 g m−2 for the treatment with nematodes at pHKCl 6.1 without phosphorus fertiliser to 289 g m−2 for the fumigated treatment at pHKCl 4.8 with phosphorus fertiliser. The differences in total biomass for the various treatments were explained by differences in foliar phosphorus concentration. Nematodes induced or aggravated P deficiency and reduced total biomass. This was not the only damage mechanism as at high, non-limiting levels of foliar phosphorus concentration, nematodes still reduced total biomass. In the Wageningen Rhizolab, directly after planting, the number of roots visible against minirhizotrons was reduced by nematodes. However, the increase of root number in the nematode treatment continued longer than in the control, until root number was higher than that of the control. The compensary root growth of the nematode treatment was restricted to the top 30 cm and nematodes reduced rooting depth. High soil pH reduced growth, mainly by reducing the availability of phosphate. Both nematodes and high soil pH reduced nutrient uptake per unit root length. Our results lead us to suggest an interaction between nematodes and soil pH, with nematode damage being higher at pHKCl 6.1 than at pHKCl 4.8.