Host preference and population level of Pratylenchoides ritteri on six legume crops

Legumes are the most important source of human food after cereals. More than 70 species of plant-parasitic nematodes have been reported from legumes of the world. Some of these nematodes cause great damage to these plants. Pratylenchoides ritteri is widespread in Iran on various plants such as legumes.

The number of P. ritteri nematodes per kg of soil in an infected field soil was counted and this soil was used for a greenhouse experiment. Nematode reproductive factor and some plant growth traits in six plants including; Broad bean, soybean, lentil, bean, mung bean, and Chickpea were studied under greenhouse and field conditions. Tests were performed in randomized complete block designs and the data were analyzed using SPSS 22 software.

All the plants were hosts for the nematode and the reproductive factor of the nematode was higher than one. The highest reproductive factor was found in soybean and the lowest in mung bean. Under greenhouse conditions, a decrease in most plant growth indices was observed in all infected plants. Among these plants, beans showed the largest decrease and mung bean the smallest decrease in growth indices.

Broad bean, soybean, lentil, bean, mung bean, and chickpea are hosts for P. ritteri and this nematode can cause decreases in most plant growth indices.