Ja. Thies et al., HOST SUITABILITY OF FORAGE GRASSES AND LEGUMES FOR ROOT-LESION NEMATODE PRATYLENCHUS PENETRANS, Crop science, 35(6), 1995, pp. 1647-1651
Pratylenchus penetrans reduces the productivity of many forage crops i
n northern USA and eastern Canada. Our objective was to determine the
host suitability of forage grasses and legumes for P. penetrans in gre
enhouse, growth chamber, and field environments. In the greenhouse and
growth chamber environments, P. penetrans reproduced on all forage gr
asses (17) and legumes (12). Both the legumes and grasses varied (P <
0.05) for numbers of nematodes and eggs in the roots. The most suitabl
e hosts included kura clover (Trifolium ambiguum M. Bieb.), alsike clo
ver (Trifolium hybridum L.), white clover (Trifolium repens L.), oat (
Avena sativa L.), and rye (Secale cereale L.). The least suitable host
s included pearl millet [Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.], tall fescue
(Festuca arundinacea Schreber), perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.)
, forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor CL.) Moench], sudangrass (Sorghum su
danense Pers.), sudex (Sorghum sudanense x S. bicolor), sweetclover (M
elilotus alba Desr.), crownvetch (Coronilla varia L.), and MNGRN-16 al
falfa (Medicago sativa L.). Twelve legumes and 9 grasses were transpla
nted into a held infested with P. penetrans and one-half the plants we
re treated with carbofuran (2,3-dihydro-2,2-dimethyl-7-benzofuranol me
thylcarbamate). Pratylenchus penetrans reproduced on all entries. Numb
ers of nematodes per gram fresh root of entries in the greenhouse-grow
th chamber and field tests were correlated for both the control (r = 0
.60, P < 0.05) and carbofuran treatment (r = 0.48, P < 0.05). We concl
uded that many forage species are hosts for P. penetrans, but a few le
gumes and grasses are poor hosts and may be useful in forage rotations
to reduce nematode populations.