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Recent Advance in the Identification and Diagnostics of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes

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A special issue of Horticulturae (ISSN 2311-7524). This special issue belongs to the section "Insect Pest Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (11 November 2022) | Viewed by 22676

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Special Issue Editor

Dr. Carlos Gutiérrez Gutiérrez

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Guest Editor

Institute of Mediterranean Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Évora, 7000-849 Evora, Portugal
Interests: integrative taxonomy and molecular phylogeny; molecular genetic diversity and genome sequencing; plant–nematode interactions; interactions between plant-parasitic nematodes and other soil microorganisms; ecology; biological control; integrated nematode management
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN) are recognized as one of the greatest threats to crops causing serious damage in terms of yield production and crop quality. Crop yield losses attributed to PPNs are estimated to exceed 100 billion euros per year. Some of them are serious pests of hundreds of crop plants. They cause severe damages to plants by their direct feeding on root cells. Furthermore, some of these species are included in the list of quarantine organisms of the European and Mediterranean Plant Protection Organization (EPPO).

Among these, the root‐knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.), the cyst nematodes (Heterodera spp. and Globodera spp.), the root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.), the burrowing nematode Radopholus similis, and the stem nematode Ditylenchus dipsaci are the top five species ranked at the top in the list of economically plant pathogenic important PPNs.

In the past, chemical fumigants were extensively used by farmers in the control of PPN; however, sharp restrictions in the use of nematicide fumigants worldwide have been established due to their high toxicity to man and the environment. Therefore, the development of a correct integrative approach for plant-pathogenic nematodes detection is a crucial juncture to identify accurately at the species level in PPNs for designing effective management strategies against them.

This Special Issue on “Recent Advance in the Identification and Integrative Diagnosis of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes” will publish articles (original research manuscripts and review articles) that focus on taxonomy, systematics, phylogeny, morphological image analysis, DNA-based methods, enzyme-based methods, and integrative approaches used for the identification of plant-parasitic nematodes associated with economically important agriculture and forestry crops.

Dr. Carlos Gutiérrez Gutiérrez
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Horticulturae is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

plant-parasitic nematodes
plant-pathogenic nematodes
identification
integrative diagnosis
DNA-based methods
molecular phylogenetics
systematics
morphological analysis
morphometrics
taxonomy
enzyme-based methods

Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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29 pages, 11011 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Six First Reports of Pin Nematodes from Portugal, with an Update of the Systematics, Genetic Diversity, and Phylogeny of the Genus Paratylenchus (Nematoda: Tylenchulidae)

by Teresa Rosmaninho, Manuel Mota, Maria L. Inácio, Jonathan D. Eisenback and Carlos Gutiérrez-Gutiérrez

Horticulturae 2022, 8(4), 343; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8040343 - 17 Apr 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3424

Abstract

Pin nematodes (Paratylenchus spp.) currently comprise 132 species of polyphagous plant ectoparasites with at least seven species that are plant pathogenic emphasizing the need for correct identification to establish an appropriate management strategy. Sequences of highly conserved regions of ribosomal and mitochondrial RNA genes are a powerful species-level diagnostic tool within Tylenchulidae. A nematological survey was conducted from 2019 to 2021 in commercial vineyards distributed in four major wine-producing regions in the Central and South Portugal. Nine populations of Paratylenchus spp. were isolated from the rhizosphere of grapevines that were characterized from morphological data and molecular phylogenetic analysis using two rRNA genes (D2–D3 expansion segments of the 28S, and partial 18S) and a region partial of the COI mtRNA gene. Contrasting morphological hypotheses with molecular data provided rapid detection of six species, specifically P. goodeyi, P. hamatus, P. pedrami, P. tenicaudatus, P. variabilis, and P. veruculatus. Bayesian inference (BI) phylogenetic trees for these molecular markers established phylogenetic relationships underscore the importance of using genomic and molecular phylogenetic data for accurate pin nematode identification at the species level. To our knowledge, this is the first report of Paratylenchus spp. in Portugal, extending the geographical distribution of these species in the Mediterranean Basin, and the first record of P. goodeyi, P. pedrami, P.variabilis, P. veruculatus and P. tenicaudatus parasitizing grapevine. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advance in the Identification and Diagnostics of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes)

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9 pages, 953 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Root-Knot Nematode Species Associated with Horticultural Crops in the Island of Azores, Portugal

by Leidy Rusinque, Filomena Nóbrega, Laura Cordeiro, Arlindo Lima, Samuel Andrade and Maria Lurdes Inácio

Horticulturae 2022, 8(2), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8020101 - 23 Jan 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3403

Abstract

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPN) are an economically important group of plant pests present throughout the world. In particular, root-knot nematodes (RKN), sedentary endoparasites of a wide variety of economically important hosts with the ability to survive in temperate regions. During 2020–2021 an extensive survey of Meloidogyne spp. was undertaken on the island of São Miguel Azores, Portugal. A total of 80 samples comprising 23 species of plants were collected from 13 localities in 4 districts of the island. Samples included field and greenhouse vegetable crops. Bioassays were carried out to obtain females and juveniles for morphological and biochemical characterization of the isolates. The observed morphological features showed high similarity and consistency with previous descriptions of the genus. Concerning the biochemical characterization, the esterase (EST) phenotype displayed the patterns described for M. incognita, M. arenaria, and M. javanica. Meloidogyne incognita was found to be the most prevalent species with respect to both natural host range and geographical distribution, followed by M. arenaria and M. javanica. This is the first field survey that assesses the species of root-knot nematodes associated with horticultural crops in the Azores Island, contributing additional information on the distribution of this genus. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advance in the Identification and Diagnostics of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes)

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18 pages, 1754 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Development of Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Assay for Rapid Detection and Analysis of the Root-Knot Nematode Meloidogyne hapla in Soil

by Zahra Saad Omer, Ann-Charlotte Wallenhammar and Maria Viketoft

Horticulturae 2022, 8(2), 87; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8020087 - 19 Jan 2022

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3067

Abstract

Soil analysis is crucial for estimating the risk of crop damage by the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne hapla. Here, we developed an analysis assay based on Loop-mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP). The LAMP primers were verified for specificity against 10 different nematode species. A manual soil DNA extraction, referred to as SKMM, was developed and compared with a FastDNA kit followed by DNA purification. DNA was extracted with both methods from artificially inoculated soils as well as from naturally infested soil collected from farm fields. The primers exclusively amplified DNA from M. hapla with both colorimetric and real-time LAMP. The detection limit was 193 gene copies and 0.0016 juveniles (12 pg µL⁻¹) per reaction. DNA concentrations and purity (A₂₆₀/A₂₃₀) were significantly higher using the SKMM procedure compared with the kit. From the field samples collected in 2019, DNA was amplified from 16% of samples extracted with SKMM and from 11% of samples using the kit. Occurrence of M. hapla DNA was confirmed in soil samples from two out of six field soils in 2020 using both real-time LAMP and qPCR. In conclusion, the developed real-time LAMP is a fast and specific assay for detection and quantification of M. hapla DNA in soil. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advance in the Identification and Diagnostics of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes)

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16 pages, 2129 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Morphological and Molecular Characterization of Nothotylenchus medians and N. similis (Nematoda: Anguinidae) from Southern Alberta, Canada

by Maria Munawar, Atta Ur Rahman, Pablo Castillo and Dmytro P. Yevtushenko

Horticulturae 2022, 8(1), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8010074 - 14 Jan 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2621

Abstract

The nematode family, Anguinidae, is a diverse group of polyphagous nematodes, generally known as fungal feeders or parasites of aerial plant parts. Here, we present the morphological and molecular characterization of adult females of two Nothotylenchus species, N. medians and N. similis, along with host association and geographical distribution data of the genus. Both species are recorded as new reports from Canada and designated as reference populations for future studies. Morphological or morphometrical variation was not observed in the Canadian population of N. medians and N. similis, in comparison with the original description. Phylogenetic analyses based on 18S and D2–D3 of 28S genes placed both species within Anguinidae. Since the biology of the genus Nothotylenchus has not been rigorously characterized, the habitat and distribution information presented in this study will shed some light on the ecology of these nematodes. Notably, the detection of N. medians and N. similis in our nematode inventory survey indicates that considerable Nothotylenchus diversity is hidden in these soils. Consequently, increased surveys and more in-depth research are needed to explore the full diversity of anguinids inhabiting these cultivated areas. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advance in the Identification and Diagnostics of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes)

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17 pages, 3227 KiB

Open AccessArticle

First Report of Three Tylenchidae Taxa from Southern Alberta, Canada

by Maria Munawar, Dmytro P. Yevtushenko and Pablo Castillo

Horticulturae 2021, 7(11), 449; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae7110449 - 2 Nov 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1806

Abstract

Members of the family Tylenchidae are highly abundant in soil habitats, including agricultural settings, where they play key ecological roles. In the present study, we identified three Tylenchidae species, namely Basiria bhabi, Coslenchus acceptus, and Filenchus vulgaris, using integrative taxonomy. The detailed morphological and morphometric characteristics, distribution, and host associations of each species were also discussed. Phylogenetic analyses of these populations with other Tylenchidae nematodes indicated the presence of divergent lineages in Filenchus and Basiria, whereas Coslenchus appeared to be a monophyletic genus. Herein, we aim to grow awareness about this common but least studied group of nematodes. The species reported in this study are new records for Canada, revealing that the identified nematode diversity in our cultivated areas is relatively underrepresented. Our analyses also provided greater taxonomic resolution and captured rare taxa that might have been missed or misidentified in prior nematode inventory surveys. These findings will add to our understanding of the nematofauna of southern Alberta, thereby providing a more complete picture of existing nematode diversity present in the fields of this highly cultivated region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advance in the Identification and Diagnostics of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes)

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Review

Jump to: Research

26 pages, 2798 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceReview

Top Ten Most Important U.S.-Regulated and Emerging Plant-Parasitic Nematodes

by Mihail Kantor, Zafar Handoo, Camelia Kantor and Lynn Carta

Horticulturae 2022, 8(3), 208; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae8030208 - 26 Feb 2022

Cited by 21 | Viewed by 6437

Abstract

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) are important pests that cause an estimated ten billion dollars of crop loss each year in the United States and over 100 billion dollars globally. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture maintains and updates the U.S. Regulated Plant Pest list. Currently, the number of PPNs regulated by APHIS includes more than 60 different species. This review focuses on the top ten most economically important regulated and emerging plant-parasitic nematodes and summarizes the diagnostics of morphological and some molecular features for distinguishing them. These ten major previously described nematode species are associated with various economically important crops from around the world. This review also includes their current distribution in the U.S. and a brief historical background and updated systematic position of these species. The species included in this review include three PPNs considered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as invasive invertebrates Globodera pallida, Globodera rostochiensis, and Heterodera glycines; four regulated PPNs, namely Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, Meloidogyne fallax, Ditylenchus dipsaci, and Pratylenchus fallax; and the three emerging PPNs Meloidogyne chitwoodi, Meloidogyne enterolobii, and Litylenchus crenatae mccannii. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advance in the Identification and Diagnostics of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes)

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