2021 Volume 51 Issue 1 Pages 11-18
A population of sugar beet cyst nematode, Heterodera schachtii (HS), was first detected in 2017 in a Brassicaceae crop field in Hara village of Nagano Prefecture in central Japan. The village is known for highland summer vegetable production. Currently, emergency control measures have been introduced prohibiting cultivation and exportation of potential host crops, and requiring soil fumigation. After HS is controlled, a new farming system based on crop rotation and use of catch crops is needed for prevention of HS recurrence and rapid resumption of cultivation. Reportedly, HS has a wider host range compared with other cyst nematode species, and the range may differ among populations. Thus, for development of a farming system, information on the host range of the HS population is essential. In this report, we provide information on the host range of the HS population. Several inoculation experiments were conducted with a total of 17 crops and 106 cultivars, mainly crops commonly grown or can be grown in Hara village. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, radish, swiss chard, sugar beet and spinach were good hosts. Among the tested crops, resistant cultivars were not found. Tomato and buckwheat were considered moderate and poor hosts, respectively. Lettuce, maize, zucchini, celery, parsley, lacy phacelia (landscape plant) and clover were non-hosts. We found an individual susceptible plant among the commercial seeds of the leafy radish cultivar, which has been reported to be resistant to HS and used as a catch crop.
