Heterodera Avenae Research Articles

Host status of Brachypodium distachyon to the cereal cyst nematode

Cereal cyst nematode (Heterodera avenae, CCN) distributes worldwide and has caused severe damage to cereal crops, and a model host will greatly aid in the study of this nematode. In this research, we assessed the sensitivity of 25 inbred lines of Brachypodium distachyon to H. avenae from Beijing, China. All lines of B. distachyon were infested by second-stage juveniles (J2s) of H. avenae from Daxing District of Beijing population, but only 13 inbred lines reproduced 0.2–3 cysts/plant, showing resistance. The entire root system of the infested B. distachyon appeared smaller and the fibrous roots were shorter and less numerous. We found that a dose of 1 000 J2s of H. avenae was sufficient for nematode infestation. We showed that Koz-1 of B. distachyon could reproduce more cysts than TR2A line. Line Koz-1 also supported the complete life cycles of 5 CCN geographical populations belonging to the Ha1 or Ha3 pathotype group. Our results suggest that B. distachyon is a host for CCN.

Investigation of resistance to Pratylenchus penetrans and P. thornei in international wheat lines and its durability when inoculated together with the cereal cyst nematode Heterodera avenae, using qPCR for nematode quantification

The root lesion nematodes Pratylenchus penetrans and P. thornei cause high yield losses in rain-fed wheat fields in Morocco, as well as worldwide. Growing resistant varieties is one of the most effective methods for controlling nematodes. Therefore, a collection of 14 lines of spring wheat and 11 lines of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum and T. durum), provided by CIMMYT, were screened for resistance to P. penetrans and P. thornei in tubes (15 × 20 × 120 mm3) under greenhouse conditions. The resistance level was evaluated based on the numbers of nematodes extracted from roots and soil 9 weeks after infestation. Three lines (L9, L12 and L13) were found moderately resistant (reproduction factor < 1) to P. thornei and one of these (L9) was also moderately resistant to P. penetrans. To investigate the durability of this resistance, we co-inoculated juveniles of Heterodera avenae, a cereal cyst nematode widely present in Moroccan wheat fields, and assessed the reproduction of both lesion nematodes on the three lines. Our results showed that the lines L9, L12, L13 remained moderately resistant in the presence of H. avenae. Moreover, the numbers of Pratylenchus spp. were generally lower when plants were co-inoculated with H. avenae. The number of P. penetrans or P. thornei were determined visually using a microscope and with a qPCR assay. The counts with qPCR were even lower than microscopic counts. These findings on resistance are promising but the field performance of these lines against root lesion nematode attacks should be evaluated.

Large-Scale Identification and Characterization of Heterodera avenae Putative Effectors Suppressing or Inducing Cell Death in Nicotiana benthamiana.

Heterodera avenae is one of the most important plant pathogens and causes vast losses in cereal crops. As a sedentary endoparasitic nematode, H. avenae secretes effectors that modify plant defenses and promote its biotrophic infection of its hosts. However, the number of effectors involved in the interaction between H. avenae and host defenses remains unclear. Here, we report the identification of putative effectors in H. avenae that regulate plant defenses on a large scale. Our results showed that 78 of the 95 putative effectors suppressed programmed cell death (PCD) triggered by BAX and that 7 of the putative effectors themselves caused cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana. Among the cell-death-inducing effectors, three were found to be dependent on their specific domains to trigger cell death and to be expressed in esophageal gland cells by in situ hybridization. Ten candidate effectors that suppressed BAX-triggered PCD also suppressed PCD triggered by the elicitor PsojNIP and at least one R-protein/cognate effector pair, suggesting that they are active in suppressing both pattern-triggered immunity (PTI) and effector-triggered immunity (ETI). Notably, with the exception of isotig16060, these putative effectors could also suppress PCD triggered by cell-death-inducing effectors from H. avenae, indicating that those effectors may cooperate to promote nematode parasitism. Collectively, our results indicate that the majority of the tested effectors of H. avenae may play important roles in suppressing cell death induced by different elicitors in N. benthamiana.

Transcriptional responses of wheat and the cereal cyst nematode Heterodera avenae during their early contact stage

Cereal cyst nematode (Heterodera avenae) is attracted to and aggregated around wheat roots to initiate infection, but this interaction between wheat and the nematode is not fully understood. The transcriptional responses of both wheat and H. avenae were examined during their early contact stage by mRNA sequencing analysis; certain numbers of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were validated using quantitative real-time PCR. The immobile host wheat root only had 93 DEGs (27 up-regulated and 66 down-regulated), while the mobile plant parasitic nematode reacted much more actively with 879 DEGs (867 up-regulated and 12 down-regulated). Among them, a number of wheat DEGs (mostly down-regulated) were involved in biotic stress pathways, while several putative effector genes were up-regulated in the nematode DEGs. One putative chitinase-like effector gene of H. avenae was able to suppress BAX-triggered programmed cell death in Nicotiana benthamiana. Results of these experiments demonstrated that nematode responded more actively than wheat during the contact stage of parasitism. The parasite’s responses mainly involved up-regulation of genes including at least one anti-plant-defence effector gene, whereas the host responses mainly involved down-regulation of certain defence-related genes.

Mechanisms and Characterization of Trichoderma longibrachiatum T6 in Suppressing Nematodes (Heterodera avenae) in Wheat.

Heterodera avenae is an important soil-borne pathogen that affects field crops worldwide. Chemical nematicides can be used to control the nematode, but they bring toxicity to the environment and human. Trichoderma longibrachiatum has been shown to have the ability to control H. avenae cysts, but detailed microscopic observations and bioassays are lacking. In this study, we used microscopic observations and bioassays to study the effect of T. longibrachiatum T6 (TL6) on the eggs and second stage juveniles (J2s) of H. avenae, and investigate the role of TL6 in inducing the resistance to H. avenae in wheat seedling at physiological and biochemical levels. Microscopic observations recorded that TL6 parasitized on the H. avenae eggs, germinated, and produced a large number of hyphae on the eggs surface at the initial stage, thereafter, the eggs were completely surrounded by dense mycelia and the contents of eggs were lysed at the late stage. Meanwhile, the conidia suspension of TL6 parasitized on the surface of J2s, produced a large number of hyphae that penetrated the cuticle and caused deformation of the nematodes. TL6 at the concentration of 1.5 × 107 conidia ml−1 had the highest rates of parasitism on eggs and J2s, reflected by the highest hatching-inhibition of eggs and the mortality of J2s. In the greenhouse experiments, wheat seedlings treated with TL6 at 1.5 × 107 conidia ml−1 had reduced H. avenae infection, and increased plant growth significantly compared to the control. The cysts and juveniles in soil were reduced by 89.8 and 92.7%, the juveniles and females in roots were reduced by 88.3 and 91.3%, whereas the activity of chitinase and β-1, 3-glucanase, total flavonoids and lignin contents in wheat roots were increased significantly at different stage after inoculation with the eggs and TL6 conidia in comparison to the control. Maximum activity of chitinase and β-1, 3-glucanase were recorded at the 20th and 15th Days after inoculation with TL6 and thereafter it declined. The maximum contents of total flavonoids and lignin were recorded at the 35th and 40th Days after inoculation with TL6. After being stained with the rapid vital dyes of acridine orange (AO) and neutral red (NR), the frozen and infected eggs and J2s of H. avenae changed color to orange and red, respectively, while the color of eggs and J2s in control group did not change. Therefore, our results suggest that TL6 is potentially an effective bio-control agent for H. avenae. The possible mechanisms by which TL6 suppresses H. avenae infection are due to the direct parasitic and lethal effect of TL6 on the eggs and J2s activity, and the induced defense response in wheat plants together.

Behavior of cereal’s varieties in the presence of &lt;i&gt;Heterodera avenae&lt;/i&gt; woll (heteroderidae, tylenchida) cyst nematode in Tiaret Area (Algeria)

The behaviour of cereals varieties (Ofanto, Waha and Vitron for durum wheat; Anza and HD1120 for bread wheat and Saida with Acsad for barly) were tested towards Heterodera avenae; The analysis of the variance reveals that the nematode has an effect on the development of durum wheat for the number of ear per seedling and the weight of thousand seeds, with respectively (P = 0,0033) and (P = 0,000) for the infested varieties and the witnesses. Common wheat shows a highly significant difference (P=0,0000) for the varieties infested and pilot and of the same for the barley, but with a significant difference with (P= 0,0002) between the varieties of barley. The two varieties of barley were different when with the weight from 1000grains. The ACP of any species confers that Saida is the most sensitive variety followed by Ofanto and Anza to attack of this nematode.

Phenotype and Cellular Response of Wheat Lines Carrying Cre Genes to Heterodera avenae Pathotype Ha91.

The cereal cyst nematode (CCN, Heterodera avenae), a major limiting factor for wheat production worldwide, is widespread in most wheat-growing regions in China. Accordingly, screening and characterization of resistant (R) wheat sources against H. avenae are very important. In this study, we screened 51 wheat lines, collected from the International Wheat and Maize Improvement Center (CIMMYT), carrying various Cre genes (Cre1, Cre2, Cre3, Cre5, Cre7, Cre8, CreR, and Pt). From that screen, we identified one immune (M) cultivar (with no adult females produced) and five resistant cultivars (with fewer than five females) to H. avenae pathotype Ha91. The Cre3 gene conferred the most effective resistance against H. avenae pathotype Ha91 in both field and greenhouse assays. Conversely, the Cre1 and CreR genes conferred the poorest effective resistance. Using Pluronic F-127 gel and a staining assay, juvenile nematodes invading wheat roots were observed, and nematode development was analyzed. Compared with R and M roots, those of the susceptible (S) wheat cultivar Wenmai19 were more attractive to H. avenae second-stage juveniles (J2s). We observed the retardation of nematode development in R cultivars and tiny white female cysts protruding from the R cultivar VP1620. Nematodes in M roots either disintegrated or remained J2s or third-stage juveniles (J3s) and failed to complete their life cycle. Molting was also suppressed or delayed in R and M genotypes. For both S and R cultivars, syncytia were characterized by cell wall perforations and dense cytoplasm in hypertrophied syncytium component cells. Syncytial size increased gradually with nematode development in S cultivars. Moreover, an incompatibility reaction occurred in M wheat roots: the syncytium was disorganized, exhibiting disintegration and condensed nuclei. These sources of genetic resistance against CCN can potentially be planted in severely infested fields to reduce economic loss or can be used for introgression in breeding.

Occurrence, identification and phylogenetic analyses of cereal cyst nematodes (Heterodera spp.) in Turkey

AbstractPlant-parasitic nematodes are very common on cereal crops and cause economic losses via reduction in grain quality and quantity. During 2014, 83 soil samples were collected from wheat and barley fields in 21 districts of 13 provinces across five regions (Central Anatolia, Marmara, Aegean, Southeast Anatolia, and Black Sea Region) of Turkey. Cyst-forming nematodes were found in 66 samples (80%), and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) sequencing and species-specific PCR identified the species in 64 samples as Heterodera filipjevi, Heterodera latipons, and Heterodera avenae. The predominant pathogenic cereal cyst nematode was H. filipjevi, which was found in all five regions surveyed. H. avenae was only detected in Southeast Anatolia whereas H. latipons was detected in Southeast Anatolia and Central Anatolia. ITS-rDNA phylogenetic analyses showed that H. avenae isolates from China clustered with H. australis, and Turkish isolates were closely related to European and USA isolates of this species. H. filipjevi from Turkey and China were clustered closely with those from the UK, Germany, Russia, and the USA. The density of many of these populations exceeded or approached the maximum threshold level for economic loss. To our knowledge, this is the first report of H. filipjevi in Diyarbakir, Edirne, and Kutahya provinces, and the first report of H. avenae in Diyarbakir Province. These results exhibit the most rigorous analysis to date on the occurrence and distribution of Heterodera spp. in Turkey's major wheat-producing areas, thus providing a basis for more specific resistance breeding, as well as other management practices.

Golden Promise barley (Hordeum vulgare) is a suitable candidate model host for investigation interaction with Heterodera avenae

Heterodera avenae (cereal cyst nematode, CCN) infects many cereal crops and causes serious yield losses worldwide. Interaction studies investigating H. avenae and its hosts are still in their infancy. In this study, a barley model plant, the Hordeum vulgare cultivar Golden Promise, was investigated for its potential as a candidate model host to study its interaction with H. avenae. CCN-infective juveniles were attracted by the root tips and gathered around the root elongation zones of Golden Promise on 0.7% water agar plates. The juveniles invaded the roots and developed successfully until maturation at 40 days after inoculation in sterile sand soil. The cryotomy and syncytium measurements indicated that the syncytia enlarged gradually throughout the development of the nematodes and caused the corresponding root regions to swell obviously. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the down-regulation of defence-related barley genes and up-regulation of development-related barley genes contribute to the understanding of compatible interaction between H. avenae and Golden Promise. Barley stripe mosaic virus (BSMV) virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) can be used in the roots of Golden Promise. In conclusion, the Hordeum vulgare cultivar Golden Promise is a suitable candidate model host for interaction studies with Heterodera avenae. The studies presented above document the first CCN host that not only has published genome context but also be compatible to BSMV VIGS.

The Complex Cell Wall Composition of Syncytia Induced by Plant Parasitic Cyst Nematodes Reflects Both Function and Host Plant.

Plant–parasitic cyst nematodes induce the formation of specialized feeding structures, syncytia, within their host roots. These unique plant organs serve as the sole nutrient resource for development and reproduction throughout the biotrophic interaction. The multinucleate syncytium, which arises through local dissolution of cell walls and protoplast fusion of multiple adjacent cells, has dense cytoplasm containing numerous organelles, surrounded by thickened outer cell walls that must withstand high turgor pressure. However, little is known about how the constituents of the syncytial cell wall and their conformation support its role during nematode parasitism. We used a set of monoclonal antibodies, targeted to a range of plant cell wall components, to reveal the microstructures of syncytial cell walls induced by four of the most economically important cyst nematode species, Globodera pallida, Heterodera glycines, Heterodera avenae and Heterodera filipjevi, in their respective potato, soybean, and spring wheat host roots. In situ fluorescence analysis revealed highly similar cell wall composition of syncytia induced by G. pallida and H. glycines. Both consisted of abundant xyloglucan, methyl-esterified homogalacturonan and pectic arabinan. In contrast, the walls of syncytia induced in wheat roots by H. avenae and H. filipjevi contain little xyloglucan but are rich in feruloylated xylan and arabinan residues, with variable levels of mixed-linkage glucan. The overall chemical composition of syncytial cell walls reflected the general features of root cell walls of the different host plants. We relate specific components of syncytial cell walls, such as abundant arabinan, methyl-esterification status of pectic homogalacturonan and feruloylation of xylan, to their potential roles in forming a network to support both the strength and flexibility required for syncytium function.

Development and characterization of EST-derived SSR markers in the cereal cyst nematode Heterodera avenae

The cereal cyst nematode Heterodera avenae is a pathogen of cereal crops and causes high yield losses worldwide. In this study, a collection of 37,348 expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of H. avenae was mined for EST-based simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, which resulted in the identification of 5604 SSRs. A total of 210 pairs of SSR primers were further developed and used for validation of the amplification rate and assessment of the polymorphism. Eight SSR markers were finally identified and analyzed using 96 individual cysts of H. avenae sampled from three provinces in China. These loci were found to be moderately polymorphic with 3–8 alleles per locus. The observed and expected heterozygosity across the three populations ranged from 0.000 to 0.594 and from 0.000 to 0.731, respectively. The polymorphism information content (PIC) was medium and ranged from 0.080 to 0.562, with a mean of 0.409. The F ST ranged from 0.1034 to 0.1550, indicating moderate genetic differentiation among the three H. avenae populations. These EST-SSR markers can be used to study population genetic diversity and the dispersal route of H. avenae in China.

Cereal cyst nematodes: importance, distribution, identification, quantification, and control

Small grain cereals, such as wheat, barley and oats are considered among the most important food sources. Plant-parasitic nematodes play a considerable role in decreasing cereal yields. The three-major species of cereal cyst nematodes (CCN) Heterodera avenae, H. latipons, and H. filipjevi are distributed worldwide and cause considerable damage. This review provides information regarding the global distribution of these nematode species, yield loss due to CCN, their biology and pathogenic relation to plants, identification and control through agricultural practices, biological agents and resistance breeding. As morphological identification of CCN is difficult and time-consuming, several molecular techniques for the identification of these CCN species have been developed in recent years. The restrictions on the use of nematicides demand for resistance to CCN. Resistance genes in several lines are known and are used in numerous breeding programmes against CCN; pyramiding these resistance genes into high yielding cultivars that could become commercially available for farmers is progressing.

Effect of Abamectin on the Cereal Cyst Nematode (CCN, Heterodera avenae) and Wheat Yield

The cereal cyst nematode (CCN, Heterodera avenae) is a major pest in wheat and until now there is no pesticide registered to control this pest in China. Development of effective methods of controlling CCN is urgently needed. Abamectin is a biological pesticide that has a high nematicide activity. However, the efficacy of abamectin soil application to control CCN in wheat and its effect on yield in China remains unknown. Therefore, laboratory, greenhouse, and field tests were carried out to evaluate the potential of abamectin soil applications for CCN control and improvement of wheat yield. Laboratory tests showed that abamectin exhibited knockdown toxicity to CCN, with LC50 and LC90 values 9.8 and 59.4 mg liter-1. Greenhouse experiment and field trials showed that soil applications of abamectin provided significant CCN control and higher straw dry weights and wheat grain yields. There was an 8.5 to 19.3% yield increase from the various abamectin treatments compared with the control. The results of this study demonstrated that abamectin exhibited a high nematicidal activity to H. avenae and adequate performance to enhance wheat crop yields.

English

English

Morphological and molecular characterizations of cereal cyst nematode Heterodera avenae Wollenweber, 1924 from the Czech Republic

The cereal cyst nematode, Heterodera avenae Wollenweber, 1924, is a major pest of cereal crops throughout the world and causes serious yield losses, especially of wheat. Previous studies have shown that this species is widely distributed in the Czech Republic. In this study, seven populations of H. avenae were molecularly studied, and one population was morphologically described. Three regions (18S, 28S, and internal transcribed spacer 1) of ribosomal DNA were sequenced and the analysis of the 18S gene of six populations did not reveal any variation, whereas the internal transcribed spacer 1 and 28S sequences of six populations differed by only two nucleotides from a population in Žilina. Precise and quick identification of cereal cyst nematodes is important for effective control measures and ribosomal sequence analyses of seven populations in this study will be useful in future phylogenetic studies of Heterodera spp. occurring in the Czech Republic.

Comparative analysis of pre- and post-parasitic transcriptomes and mining pioneer effectors of Heterodera avenae

BackgroundThe cereal cyst nematode (CCN, Heterodera avenae) is a devastating pathogen of wheat and barley crops in many countries. We aimed to prioritize genetic and molecular targets for H. avenae control via the powerful and integrative bioinformatics platform.ResultsHere, we sequenced mRNA isolated from Chinese H. avenae at pre-parasitic (consisting of egg, J1 and hatched-J2) stages and post-parasitic (consisting of parasitic-J2, J3, J4 and adults) stages. Total 1,066,719 reads of whole life cycle transcriptomes were assembled into 10,811 contigs with N50 length of 1754 bp and 71,401 singletons. Comparative analyses of orthologous among H. avenae and 7 other nematodes with various life-styles revealed the significance and peculiarity of neurological system for sedentary phytonematode. KEGG pathway enrichment demonstrated active crosstalk events of nervous system at pre-parasitic stages, and 6 FMRFamide-like neuropeptides were verified to display an expression peak at the hatched-J2 stage in H. avenae. Furthermore, multiple approaches were undertaken to mine putative effectors and parasitism-specific genes. Notably, H. avenae might represent the first phytonematode reported to possess the pioneer effectors with RxLR motif and potential effectors with homologies to Ant-5/Ant-34.ConclusionOur work provides valuable resources for in-depth understanding the parasitism and pathogenicity of H. avenae, as well as developing new targets-oriented strategies on effective managements.

Isolation of nematicidal constituents from essential oil of &lt;i&gt;Kaempferia galanga&lt;/i&gt; L rhizome and their activity against &lt;i&gt;Heterodera avenae&lt;/i&gt; Wollenweber

Purpose: To explore the nematicidal activities of the essential oil of Kaempferia galanga rhizomes and its isolated constituents against Heterodera avenae. Methods: Essential oil of K. galanga rhizomes was obtained by hydrodistillation and characterized by gas chromatography/mass spectrometric (GC/MS) analysis using HP-5MS column. Evaluation of nematicidal toxicity was performed against juveniles (J2) of H. avenae . The bioactive constituent compounds were isolated and identified from the oil based on bioactivity-directed fractionation. Results: Forty-one components were identified and the main components of the essential oil of K. galanga are as follows: ethyl-ρ-methoxy cinnamate (34.79 %), ethyl cinnamate (20.72%), 1,8-cineole (8.96 %), trans-cinnamaldehyde (7.03%) and borneol (5.64 %). The essential oil exhibited nematicidal activity against the cereal cyst nematode with an LC 50 value of 91.78 μg/mL. Ethyl cinnamate, ethyl ρ-methoxy cinnamate and trans-cinnamaldehyde (median lethal concentration LC 50 = 100.60 μg/ml, 83.04 μg/mL and 94.75 μg/mL, respectively) exhibited stronger nematicidal toxicity than borneol (LC 50 = 734.89 μg/mL) and 1,8-cineole (LC 50 = 921.21 μg/mL) against the cereal cyst nematode. Conclusion: The results indicate that the essential oil of K. galanga and its isolated constituents have a potential for development into natural nematicides for the control of cereal cyst nematodes. Keywords: Kaempferia galanga, Heterodera avenae , Nematicidal activity, Cereal cyst nematodes, Ethyl cinnamate, Ethyl ρ-methoxy cinnamate, Trans-cinnamaldehyde

Efficacy Evaluation of Seed-Coating Compounds Against Cereal Cyst Nematodes and Root Lesion Nematodes on Wheat

Cereal cyst nematodes (Heterodera avenae and H. filipjevi) and root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) have been found to infect cereals in 16 provinces of China. To develop a nematicide that effectively controls nematodes, two novel chemical products, methylene bis thiocyanate (MBT) and MBT + thiamethoxam (MTT); four common pesticides, fipronil + chlorpyrifos (FIC), emamectin benzoate, imidacloprid, and Bacillus thuringiensis; and one fungicide, iprodione, were tested as seed coatings for the control of cereal cysts and root lesion nematodes from 2013 to 2015. Wheat seeds were treated with these seven seed coatings before sowing, and changes in the numbers of Heterodera spp. and Pratylenchus spp. were recorded during three different growth stages. Wheat yields were also compared after harvest. All treatments reduced the numbers of Pratylenchus in wheat and of cysts and eggs of Heterodera in the soil compared with the untreated control. Among the treatments, application of MTT or FIC was more effective than that of the other treatments for nematode control, and the other treatments had similar effects. The results of this study have demonstrated that MTT and FIC applied as seed treatments effectively reduce the number of cysts, inhibit the reproduction of Heterodera and Pratylenchus, and enhance wheat yields. MTT and FIC are thus suitable for controlling nematodes on wheat under natural field conditions.

Biochemical changes of the cereal cyst nematode, Heterodera avenae, at low temperatures

Cereal cyst nematode (Heterodera avenae) diapause is induced by high temperatures and is broken by low temperatures. In this study, metabolic responses were monitored in diapause and non-diapause H. avenae during exposure to 4°C for 10 weeks. The results showed that there was no difference in total carbohydrate content. The content of glycogen and glycerol at 0 week was relatively high but decreased with increased storage time at 4°C. The content of trehalose of the nematode at 10 weeks was significant lower than that at 5 weeks at 4°C. Protein content increased significantly after incubation for 5 and 10 weeks. Esterase and trehalase activity increased with the increasing period at 4°C and showed a significant difference between treatments for esterase activity but there was no significant difference between 5 and 10 weeks for trehalase activity. The SDS-PAGE pattern indicated that a 15.5 kDa protein was absent at 10 weeks and present at 0 and 5 weeks. Esterase isoenzyme patterns of H. avenae showed that at 10 weeks there were four bands: EST 0.21, EST 0.24, EST 0.30 and EST 0.34 (Rf values). EST 0.24 was the common band in the three treatments. Biochemical tests were conducted to correlate with hatching experiments using the same treatments. 2-DE patterns of H. avenae showed that diapause and non-diapause nematodes had 409 and 412 protein spots, respectively, and 19 protein spots were unique: 11 distinct proteins in non-diapause and eight distinct proteins in diapause. This information could be helpful in understanding the diapause mechanism of the cereal cyst nematode.

GC-MS Analysis of Nematicidal Essential Oil of Mentha canadensis Aerial Parts against Heterodera avenae and Meloidogyne incognita

The essential oil of Mentha canadensis aerial parts was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromaotography-mas spectrometry (GC-MS). A total of 36 components of the essential oil were identified. The major constituents in the essential oil of M. canadensis were menthol (28.8 %), α-pinene (16.4 %), menthone (12.7 %), α-terpineol (6.3 %) and limonene (5.5 %). Four active constituents (limonene, menthol, α-pinene and α-terpinol) were isolated from the essential oil of M. canadensis based on bioactivity-directed fractionation. The essential oil of M. canadensis aerial parts exhibited nematicidal activity against cereal cyst nematodes (Heterodera avenae) and root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne incognita) with LC values of 385.7 μg/ml and 139.0 μg/ml, respectively. The isolated constituents, menthol and α-terpinol possessed nematicidal activity against H. avenae and M. incognita with LC50 values of 242.5 μg/ml, 190.3 μg/ml and 147.4 μg/ml, 115.2 μg/ml, respectively. The study indicated that the essential oil of M. canadensis aerial parts and its two major constituents, α-terpineol and menthol have a potential to be developed to a natural nematicides for the control of nematodes.