Sugar Beet Cyst Nematode (Heterodera schachtii Schmidt): Identification and Antagonists

Abstract

AbstractSugar beet is listed within the top ten most important crops in the world. The paleobotanic data suggest that the sea beet was grown in ancient times, while the beets with swollen roots were cultivated in the Middle Ages in Europe. Sugar beet cyst nematode, Heterodera schachtii, is an invasive organism causing high economic loss to sugar beets worldwide. The fundamental steps in the control of harmful organisms in plant protection and food safety are grounded on rapid detection of the causative agent and its proper identification. Prompt reaction before obvious symptoms occur can prevent devastating consequences. To confirm the identity of an invasive organism, the process demands a combination of identification techniques, such as morphology and molecular characterization. The phylogeography of available H. schachtii populations, based on matching historical data with phylogenetic analyses of the ITS rRNA region, pinpointed a possible place of origin of the European H. schachtii populations. Due to the long persistence of the parasite in soil, cysts harbor a large number of bacteria and fungi, the presence of which can lead to cyst death and population decline. Bacteria, fungi, and other antagonists, being an inevitable part of the soil ecosystem, are also part of those mechanisms in nature that limit the excessive number of invasive organisms and return the ecological system to its stable equilibrium.KeywordsAntagonistsBacteriaFungiIdentificationSugar beet cyst nematode