Host suitability of three Opuntia taxa for the Dactylopius opuntiae (Hemiptera: Dactylopiidae) ‘stricta’ lineage

Reniform nematode (Rotylenchulus reniformis) is a yield-limiting pathogen of soybean (Glycine max) in the southeastern region of the United States. A population of 250 recombinant inbred lines (RIL) (F2:8) developed from a cross between reniform nematode resistant soybean cultivar Forrest and susceptible cultivar Williams 82 was utilized to identify regions associated with host suitability. A genetic linkage map was constructed using single-nucleotide polymorphism markers generated by genotyping-by-sequencing. The phenotype was measured in the RIL population and resistance was characterized using normalized and transformed nematode reproduction indices in an optimal univariate cluster analysis. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis using normalized phenotype scores identified two QTLs on each arm of chromosome 18 (rrn-1 and rrn-2). The same QTL analysis performed with log10(x) transformed phenotype data also identified two QTLs: one on chromosome 18 overlapping the same region in the other analysis (rrn-1), and one on chromosome 11 (rrn-3). While rrn-1 and rrn-3 have been reported associated with reduced reproduction of reniform nematode, this is the first report of the rrn-2 region associated with host suitability to reniform nematode. The resistant parent allele at rrn-2 showed an inverse relationship with the resistance phenotype, correlating with an increase in nematode reproduction or host suitability. Several candidate genes within these regions corresponded with host plant defense systems. Interestingly, a characteristic pathogen resistance gene with a leucine-rich repeat was discovered within rrn-2. These genetic markers can be used by soybean breeders in marker-assisted selection to develop lines with resistance to reniform nematode.

Download Full-text

Host Suitability Index for Polyphagous Tephritid Fruit Flies

Journal of Economic Entomology ◽

10.1093/jee/toab035 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Peter A Follett ◽

Fay E M Haynes ◽

Bernard C Dominiak

Keyword(s):

Fruit Fly ◽

Fruit Production ◽

General Purpose ◽

Fruit Flies ◽

Host Suitability ◽

Bactrocera Dorsalis ◽

Infestation Rate ◽

Suitability Index ◽

Host Status ◽

Tephritid Fruit Flies

Abstract Tephritid fruit flies are major economic pests for fruit production and are an impediment to international trade. Different host fruits are known to vary in their suitability for fruit flies to complete their life cycle. Currently, international regulatory standards that define the likely legal host status for tephritid fruit flies categorize fruits as a natural host, a conditional host, or a nonhost. For those fruits that are natural or conditional hosts, infestation rate can vary as a spectrum ranging from highly attractive fruits supporting large numbers of fruit flies to very poor hosts supporting low numbers. Here, we propose a Host Suitability Index (HSI), which divides the host status of natural and conditional hosts into five categories based on the log infestation rate (number of flies per kilogram of fruit) ranging from very poor (<0.1), poor (0.1–1.0), moderately good (1.0–10.0), good (10–100), and very good (>100). Infestation rates may be determined by field sampling or cage infestation studies. We illustrate the concept of this index using 21 papers that examine the host status of fruits in five species of polyphagous fruit flies in the Pacific region: Bactrocera tryoni Froggatt, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel), Bactrocera latifrons (Hendel), Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Coquillett), and Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann) (Diptera: Tephritidae). This general-purpose index may be useful in developing systems approaches that rely on poor host status, for determining surveillance and detection protocols for potential incursions, and to guide the appropriate regulatory response during fruit fly outbreaks.

Download Full-text

Host suitability of summer cover crops to Meloidogyne arenaria, M. enterolobii, M. incognita and M. javanica

Nematology ◽

10.1163/15685411-bja10122 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-9

Author(s):

Hung X. Bui ◽

Johan A. Desaeger

Keyword(s):

Cover Crops ◽

Nematode Species ◽

Host Suitability ◽

Parasitic Nematodes ◽

Plant Parasitic Nematodes ◽

Root Knot Nematode ◽

Sunn Hemp ◽

Host Status ◽

Susceptible Control ◽

Sorghum Sudangrass

Summary Cover crops can be a useful tool for managing plant-parasitic nematodes provided they are poor or non-hosts for the target nematode species. A glasshouse experiment was done to determine the host status of four common cover crops in Florida, sunn hemp, cowpea, sorghum sudangrass and sunflower, to pure populations of four common tropical root-knot nematode (RKN) species Meloidogyne javanica (Mj), M. incognita (Mi), M. enterolobii (Me) and M. arenaria (Ma). Tomato was included as a susceptible control. Eight weeks after nematode inoculation (WAI), tomato showed the highest root gall damage for all tested RKN species, with gall indices (GI) between 7 (Ma) and 8.5 (Me) and reproduction factor (RF) ranging from 20 (Ma) to 50 (Mj). No visible root galls were observed for any of the RKN species on sunn hemp and sorghum sudangrass at 8 WAI. However, Mj and Mi were able to reproduce slightly on sorghum sudangrass (RF = 0.02 and 0.79, respectively). Sunflower and cowpea were infected by all four tested RKN species, but host suitability varied. Sunflower root galling ranged from 1.1 (Me) to 4.5 (Mj) and RF = 3.2 (Me) to 28.7 (Mj), while cowpea root galling ranged from 0.6 (Mi) to 5.1 (Me) and RF = 0.8 (Mi) to 67.3 (Mj). Sunn hemp and, to a lesser extent, sorghum sudangrass were poor hosts to all four tested RKN species. Sunflower was a good host to all RKN species, but root gall damage and RF were lowest for Me. Cowpea was a good host to Mj, Me and Ma, but a poor host to Mi. Our results confirm and stress the importance of RKN species identification when selecting cover crops as an RKN management strategy.

Download Full-text