Background: Cereal Cyst Nematodes (CCN) are prevailing in all type of agricultural lands and responsible for enormous losses of cereal crops. The understandings on population densities and management of these nematode are required to improve crop health and productivity.Methods: A study was designed to assess the incidence of cereal cyst nematodes in wheat and rice monoculture cropping regions of eight districts of Punjab province, viz., Jhang, Khushab, layyah, Hafizabad, Sheikhupura, Narowal, Gujranwala and Sargodha in Pakistan. Population densities of cereal cyst nematodes were studied by extracting the cysts and second stage juveniles from soil samples and identified the nematode species. Result: The CCNs were found in 80% of the total 250 samples collected from wheat and rice monoculture fields of at least one crop. In the soil samples collected from wheat fields, an average of 7 to 38 cysts/100g of dry soil with eggs and J2 population of 142-771 were recorded. Whereas from the soil samples of rice fields, 17 to 25 cysts/100g soil were found with 345 to 508 eggs and juveniles. Among the wheat fields, the lowest incidence of 5.5% was recorded in kot–momin and highest incidence of 16.88% was recorded in Silanwali tehsils of Sargodha region. In rice fields, 24.69 to 27.00% incidence of CCNs was noticed in soil samples of various surveyed regions. Three different species of Heterodera genus were morphologically identified from the collections. The species includes Heterodera oryzae, Heterodera avenae and Heterodera graminophila. H. oryzae was more abundant in rice growing regions while H. avenae and H. graminophila were present dominantly in wheat growing regions. This study provides an inclusive information regarding cereal cyst nematode densities and species in wheat-rice growing regions of Punjab province of Pakistan.
Occurrence and Development of the Cereal Cyst Nematode (Heterodera avenae) in Shandong, China
