Numbers Of Free-living Nematodes Research Articles

Microbiological Assessment of Soil Planted with Cover Crops, and Soybean and Maize in Succession

This study aimed to assess the population density of nematodes and mycorrhizal soil fungi, in areas cultivated with oats, brachiaria, forage and white lupine, as well as in maize and soybean crops in succession, in order to generate a microbiological indicator of soil quality. In order to assess nematode and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) population densities, the experiment was performed in two stages: the first assessment was performed in the area where different cover crops were planted, in five seasons (0, 60, 90, 120, 150 days after sowing—DAS). In the second stage, soybean and maize crops in succession were assessed. According to the results, free-living nematodes and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi population densities were not affected by the cover crop species used and, therefore, these can be grown prior to soybean and corn crops, without impact to free-living nematodes and AMF. The largest population of saprophyte nematodes and AMF occurred at 90 days. The cultivation of soybean and corn did not influence the number of free-living nematodes, but influenced the number of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. The highest numbers of mycorrhizal fungi Gigaspora margarita and Glomus macrocarpum were found in maize.

Dynamics of plant parasitic and free living nematode populations in sugarcane <i>Saccharum officinarum</i> in Fiji


 
 
 Parasitic nematodes are one of the main constraints in the production of sugarcane, Saccharum officinarum, in Fiji and other sugarcane-growing countries. Both plant parasitic and free-living nematodes are associated with roots of the plant, and the level of infestation affects both soil health and cane yield. This study examined the dynamics of plant parasitic and free-living nematode populations in sugarcane crops in Drasa Estate, Lautoka, Fiji. Soil samples to quantify nematode populations were collected ve times during the crop cycle. There was an exponential increase in the plant parasitic nematode population with time after planting (nematode population=64.316e0.0112x; R2=0.56, x=days after planting). However, the increase was not consistent among the different nematode groups. Significant increases in Lesion (P<0.05), Rootknot (P<0.05), Spiral (P<0.01), and Ring (P<0.03) nematode populations were found but not for Reniforms (P>0.05). Populations of free-living nematodes built up 90 days after planting and remained elevated in the ratoon crop. Populations of parasitic nematodes increased with the growth of cane (as measured by cane height) with increases occurring faster in the ratoon than in the plant crop (P=0.001). The number of free-living nematodes may have affected population growth of parasitic nematodes.
 
 

Effects of cover crops on the overwintering success of entomopathogenic nematodes and their antagonists

Conservation agriculture is arising as an alternative to conventional agriculture with the aim to have a reduced impact on the environment. This includes the use of cover crops to conserve soil quality by limiting soil erosion, adding organic matter, and enhancing soil nutrient content, as well as water availability, which are all factors that can greatly influence the presence of soil organisms. In the current study, we investigated whether winter cover crops can enhance the persistence of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) over the winter season. In a first trial we augmented EPN populations in plots without (bared) and with the cover crops, pea (Pisum sativum) or mustard (Brassica juncea). In late autumn, individual mini-plots in each of the three treatments were supplemented with infective juveniles (IJs) of either Heterorhabditis bacteriophora or Steinernema feltiae. In a second trial we studied naturally occurring EPN in plots without (bared) and with the cover crop pea (Pisum sativum) followed by planting of winter wheat. To identify and quantify EPN, we analyzed soil samples using quantitative real time PCR (qPCR) at three time points over the winter season. We also measured the activity of augmented EPN by baiting the soil with wax moth larvae, Galleria mellonella. In addition, we used the qPCR method to investigate the presence of nematophagous fungi (NF), free-living nematodes (FLN) and ectoparasitic bacteria, all of which can interfere with EPN performance. Numbers of naturally occurring EPN in the investigated fields were very low (<1 EPN per 100g of soil). The cover crops only had a significant positive effect on the numbers of augmented S. feltiae found in early winter. No striking effect was found for H. bacteriophora. Yet, augmentation was found to enhance the insect-suppressiveness of the soil, as the recorded EPN infectivity after the winter was slightly higher than what was observed in autumn, one month after application. The numbers of FLN, which compete for insect cadavers, was higher in spring than in early winter. These FLN and other antagonists may be important in reducing EPN numbers. In conclusion, the effect of cover crops on EPN persistence was only evident during early-winter and was only significant in the plots augmented with S. feltiae. Moreover, we found that higher numbers of EPN in agricultural soils do not necessarily translate into high infectivity, which is the key factor determining their effectiveness in controlling soil pests.

89 % reduction of a potato cyst nematode population using biological control and rotation

A major issue of potato cultivation in temperate zones is the potato cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis. Population density of G. rostochiensis is high in Mexican potato fields. Control currently consists of the inefficient application of high doses of chemical nematicides. We evaluated the population density of G. rostochiensis in potato production plots in central Veracruz, Mexico. Plots were treated with the biocontrol agent Paecilomyces sp. and rotation with two different leguminous crop plants, Pisum sativum and Vicia faba. A random block experimental design was used with four different treatments over two crop cycles: (1) biological control with crop rotation, (2) crop rotation only, (3) biological control applied to soil left in fallow, and (4) soil left in fallow only. We measured the number and content of cysts, and the number of J2 juveniles of G. rostochiensis in the soil. We then estimated the infestation level in soil and the multiplication rate (Pf/Pi). The number of free-living nematodes was also quantified. Results show that the highest mitigation of G. rostochiensis was observed for the biological control rotation, with 89.2 % reduction, and for the biological control fallow treatments with 84.4 % reduction. In rotation plots, infestation level decreased by 30.7 %. In the biological control rotation and biological control fallow treatments, the Pf/Pi was 0.1 and 0.15, respectively. The highest Pf/Pi of 0.93 was found in the fallow plots. The biological control agent did not significantly affect the free-living nematode populations. In this study, the nematophagous fungus Paecilomyces sp. was used for the first time to efficiently reduce the population of G. rostochiensis in two crop cycles.

Organic inputs, tillage and rotation practices influence soil health and suppressiveness to soilborne pests and pathogens of ginger

A field experiment was established in which an amendment of poultry manure and sawdust (200 t/ha) was incorporated into some plots but not others and then a permanent pasture or a sequence of biomass-producing crops was grown with and without tillage, with all biomass being returned to the soil. After 4 years, soil C levels were highest in amended plots, particularly those that had been cropped using minimum tillage, and lowest in non-amended and fallowed plots, regardless of how they had been tilled. When ginger was planted, symphylans caused severe damage to all treatments, indicating that cropping, tillage and organic matter management practices commonly used to improve soil health are not necessarily effective for all crops or soils. During the rotational phase of the experiment, the development of suppressiveness to three key pathogens of ginger was monitored using bioassays. Results for root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne javanica) indicated that for the first 2 years, amended soil was more suppressive than non-amended soil from the same cropping and tillage treatment, whereas under pasture, the amendment only enhanced suppressiveness in the first year. Suppressiveness was generally associated with higher C levels and enhanced biological activity (as measured by the rate of fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolysis and numbers of free-living nematodes). Reduced tillage also enhanced suppressiveness, as gall ratings and egg counts in the second and third years were usually significantly lower in cropped soils under minimum rather than conventional tillage. Additionally, soil that was not disturbed during the process of setting up bioassays was more suppressive than soil which had been gently mixed by hand. Results of bioassays with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. zingiberi were too inconsistent to draw firm conclusions, but the severity of fusarium yellows was generally higher in fumigated fallow soil than in other treatments, with soil management practices having little impact on disease severity. With regard to Pythium myriotylum, biological factors capable of reducing rhizome rot were present, but were not effective enough to suppress the disease under environmental conditions that were ideal for disease development.

Seasonal changes in the nematode fauna in pine trees killed by the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus

The seasonal changes in the number of free-living nematodes and the pinewood nematode (PWN), Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, in 15-year-old Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii) trees killed by the PWN were determined. Fifteen species of nematodes were isolated, i.e. one species, each of Mononchida and Plectidae, two species, each of Monhisterida, Rhabditida and Tylenchida, three species of Bursaphelenchus including the PWN, and four species of Diplogasterida. The PWN and one species of Diplogasterida were the most prevalent nematodes isolated. The numbers of PWNs decreased from August to December, 2004, but then increased in February, 2005, then decreased again until June, 2005. During the experimental period the population changes of the Diplogasterida nematode mimicked those of the PWN, however, correlations between the numbers of the two nematodes varied considerably both among trees and seasons. Both the PWN and the Diplogasterida nematode were more abundant around the pupal chambers of the vector beetle, Monochamus alternatus, than elsewhere in the tree wood. Jpn. J. Nematol. 36 (2), 87-100 (2006).

Amendments of sugarcane trash induce suppressiveness to plant-parasitic nematodes in a sugarcane soil

In a field experiment at Bundaberg, Queensland, sugarcane trash was incorporated into soil with, or without, additional nitrogen supplied as either soybean residue or ammonium nitrate. The carbon inputs from plant material (lOtC/ha) were the same in all treatments, while both plus-nitrogen treatments received the same amount of nitrogen (210kgN/ha). Sugarcane was planted 23 weeks after amendments were incorporated, and 24 weeks later there were 95%fewer lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus zeae) in roots growing in amended soil than in roots from the unamended control. Populations of P. zeae and Tylenchorhynchus annulatus in amended soil were reduced by 85%and 71%, respectively. Bioassays in which forage sorghum was planted in soil collected during the experiment and inoculated with P. zeae indicated that amended soils were suppressive to the nematode at 20 weeks but not after 47 weeks. All amendments increased readily oxidisable carbon, microbial biomass, microbial activity and numbers of free-living nematodes, but had no effect on known predators of nematodes (i.e. dorylaimid and mononchid nematodes and three naturally occurring species of nematode-trapping fungi, Arthrobotrys conoides, A. thaumasium and Drechslerella dactyloides). However, an unidentified predatory fungus was found only in soil amended with sugarcane trash and was possibly involved in the suppression of plant-parasitic nematodes.

A simple practical method for bulk and rapid extraction of free-living nematodes from marine and estuarine sediments

A simple, rapid method is described for the extraction of large numbers of free-living nematodes from estuarine sediments. This method does not physically or chemically alter or damage the nematodes, but instead relies on their downward movement through a filtering layer of double ply tissue paper and into aerated water-filled trays. Seven trials each with 10 trays kept at 25degreesC for an initial period of 24 h yielded 3985 live nematodes l(-1) (+/-511.5 standard deviation) of estuarine sediment, free of sediment and with minimal debris. Time effects were statistically significantly different, with the same 10 trays yielding another 1259 nematodes l(-1) (+/-413.4) when kept for a second period of 24 h at the same temperature. Temperature effects were also significant, and 7 trials each with 10 trays kept for 24 h at 20-21degreesC, produced a lower yield of 2160 nematodes l(-1) (+/-532.7) of sediment. The method is expected to be of use in nematode extractions from both estuarine and marine sediments.

Mapping of interactions between soil factors and nematodes

A study was undertaken to investigate the effect of soil physical and chemical properties on nematodes associated with sugarcane. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed little or no change in the nematode community between nematicide treated and untreated plots or between sugarcane varieties. Analysis of the topsoil revealed very small differences in chemical elements between varieties. Soil of plots with the variety N16 had higher levels of Mg and Ca and lower levels of Fe. The study of soil characteristics of the topsoil and of the deeper layer revealed a heterogeneous situation alluding to the distinction of two zones over the area. However, the overall distribution of the entire nematode community, described by the factorial values of the PCA, was not related to the location of these two soil delimited zones. The coinertia analysis was then performed to identify the relationship between individual soil factors and individual species. These relationships were shown to be significant and concerned mainly the Mn level in the soil, the size of the plant–parasitic community and the abundance of Helicotylenchus dihystera and Xiphinema elongatum. All three decreased as the Mn content increased. To a lesser extent, pH and Na were positively associated with the numbers of free-living nematodes.

The development of Trichostrongylus colubriformis larvae on a range of herbage species or on plots of differing topographical aspect.

Five "contaminations", where faeces containing Trichostrongylus colubriformis eggs were deposited on pasture and serially recovered, were used to compare the rate of decline of faecal mass and larval development. In the first three contaminations, faeces from a common source were deposited on swards of browntop (Agrostis capillaris cv Grasslands Muster), ryegrass (Lolium perenne cv Grassland Nui), white clover (Trifolium pratense cv Grassland Tahora), or onto bare ground in the late spring, summer or autumn. The last two contaminations were done on the north facing aspect or south facing aspect of hill country pastures in summer and autumn. Number of free-living nematodes (first- and second-stage larvae (L(1) and L(2)) and soil dwelling nematodes) and third stage larvae (L(3)) recovered from faeces were counted. In spring there was a significant (P<0.01) effect of sward type on the mass of faeces remaining, with greatest mass remaining on browntop and ryegrass 28 days later, and less on bare ground and white clover. In summer there were more (P<0.05) faeces remaining on browntop than on other herbages which had little faeces remaining and which did not differ one from another. In autumn there was a rapid decline in faecal mass. All faeces were gone from white clover and ryegrass swards by day 10 and from browntop and bare ground by day 14. The number of free-living nematodes did not differ markedly between seasons, ranging from 5 to 8.5% of eggs deposited. The number of L(3) recovered was low in spring ( approximately 0.4% of eggs deposited) and did not differ between swards. In summer, more (P<0.05) L(3) were recovered from faeces deposited on swards of ryegrass and white clover than from bare ground or browntop. Most L(3) were recovered from days 7 to 14 ( approximately 1.3% of eggs deposited). In the autumn, low numbers of L(3) were recovered from browntop on day 3 and ryegrass on day 7 (0.2% of eggs deposited) with virtually no L(3) recovered from faeces placed on white clover or bare ground. There were significant (P<0.001) effects of aspect on the amount of faecal mass remaining in both summer and autumn with less faeces remaining on the south facing aspect than on the north. This was particularly evident during the summer when virtually all of the faeces were intact on the north facing aspect but only 40% was remaining on the south on day 28. In the autumn, while faeces were completely gone from both aspects by day 28 but there were less (P<0.05) faeces remaining on the south facing aspect from days 3 to 18 than from the north. There was no aspect effect in either season on the number of free-living nematodes recovered which averaged 8-11% of eggs deposited. In both seasons a greater number of L(3) were recovered from faeces on the south facing aspect than on the north, particularly 3-10 days after faecal deposition. In summer the rise in L(3) recovered in faeces was more rapid on south facing aspect than on the north but both attained a maximum level of approximately 4% of eggs deposited. In autumn on day 3 there was a rapid rise on south facing aspect to approximately 21% of eggs deposited followed by a gradual decline on day 10 while on the north facing aspect numbers of L(3) recovered only attained 10% of eggs deposited.

Effect of nitrogen amendments on microbial biomass, above-ground biomass and nematode population in the Negev Desert soil

Nitrogen amendments (0, 25, 50 and 100 kg NH4NO3/ha) were used to study the responses of primary production, microbial biomass and nematode population in desert soil. The study was conducted in the Israeli Negev Desert, a region characterized by low and randomly distributed rainfall. Over a 1-year study period, nitrogen amendments resulted in a significant (p<0·01) increase in soil microbial biomass. Soil microbial biomass also increased concomitantly with the increase in soil organic matter. The number of free-living nematodes in the soil increased with the increase in soil moisture, ranging from 43,000 individuals per square metre at the end of the summer to 351,000 individuals per square metre during the rainy season. No significant correlation was found between the nitrogen treatments and the nematode population, whereas a significant positive correlation was found between the nitrogen amendments and the above-ground biomass (r2=0·94, p<0·03). The nitrate proportion of the total soluble nitrogen in the soil also increased with the increase in soil moisture. This study provides baseline data for nitrogen amendments on soil microbial status, as well as insights into the importance of nitrogen in fertility in arid environments.

ネコブセンチュウに対するシンナミックアルデヒド（桂皮精油）の殺線虫性

Cinnamic aldehyde exhibited a remarkable nematicidal activity against infective juveniles of Meloidogyne incognita. LC 50 was 10ppm for 24 hr in water following 24 hr immersion in the solution at 25°C . The empirical formula was Y=-0.7808+5.6788X, where Y was the probit of mortality and X was the log dosage (ppm). When the dose exceeded 30ppm for 24hr no larvae survived. However a larger dose was required for the soil application, ca. 2g per 10l soil to reduce the damage caused by root-knot nematodes. On the other hand, the number of free-living nematodes, especially rhabditid nematodes, increased conspicuously soon after soil application of the chemical at the rate of 1-2g/10l. This chemical is recommended as a soil fumigant for small areas, as it is highly volatile.

The soil-inhabiting nematodes for Macquarie Island.

The numbers of free-living nematodes in more than 40 Macquarie I. soils were recorded at three different times during the year. The principal conditions affecting the populations have been discussed and it is concluded that the numbers and types of algae and bacteria in the soil are of major importance since most of the nematode species identified are believed to feed on these groups of microorganisms. An attempt has been made to assess the relative importance of nematodes in processes of decomposition in Macquarie I. soils.