Report of six plant parasitic nematodes from the orchards of Rafsanjan region, Kerman Province, Iran

In the suburban area of Rafsanjan city in Kerman Province, Iran, there are many orchards infested with plant parasitic nematodes. Therefore, it was necessary to identify the plant parasitic nematodes in the orchards of this region.

In 2018 and 2019, some soil samples were taken around the roots of apricot, peach, pomegranate, apple, cherry and persimmon trees in this area. Nematodes were extracted by two methods, tray and sieve-centrifuge, and after fixation, they were transferred to pure glycerin. Permanent slides were examined with a bright field microscope and extracted nematodes were identified using diagnostic keys and original descriptions.

Seven nematodes from the infraorder Tylenchomorpha, belonging to five families including: Tylenchidae, Pratylenchidae, Tylenchulidae, Criconematidae and Anguinidae were identified. Root-lesion nematode (Pratylenchus penetrans), pin-nematode (Paratylenchus neoamblycephalus) and Criconematid (Mesocriconema xenoplax) were the most important plant parasitic nematodes in fruit orchards of this region.

Due to the presence of some important and damaging nematodes in the orchards of Rafsanjan, it is recommended to implement appropriate management methods and monitor the population of important plant parasitic nematodes.