Three Species Belonging to Criconematidae from Cereal Fields in Isfahan Province

In order to identify the plant-parasitic nematodes of important cereals (wheat, barley, and corn) in Isfahan Province, 120 soil and root samples were collected from the rhizosphere of these crops in various locations in the region during 1999 and 2000. Nematodes were extracted from soil by sieving and centrifugal sugar-flotation method. The specimens were killed and fixed in FGA (formaldehyde, glycerin and acetic acid 4:1:1) hot solution. The extracted nematodes were mounted in glycerin, permanent slides prepared, and studied by light microscope. The results revealed the presence of three species belonging to two genera of family criconematidae as follows: Criconemella antipolitana , C. xenoplax, Hemicycliophora poranga. H. poranga was extracted from rhizosphere of corn and reported for the first time from Iran. The most frequently occurring and dominant species was C. antipolitana that was isolated from soil around the roots of wheat and barley in several areas. C. xenoplax was extracted from a wheat field with the history of peach cultivation. These species are new records for Isfahan Province.