Plant nematodes in the Lottering Plantation,Eastern Cape Province

Mariette Marais and Antoinette Swart

National Collection ofNematodes, Biosystematics Division, ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute,Private Bag X134, Pretoria 0001

SYNOPSIS

During a survey ofplant nematodes in the Lottering Plantation, Eastern Cape Province, thirteen Pinuscompartments, six indigenous forest and eight Fynbos areas were sampled. The nematode generaHelicotylenchus and Scutellonema were the most common whereas Criconema, Hemicycliophora,Mesocriconema, Tylenchorhynchus, Criconemoides, Paratylenchus and Xiphinema were found at fewerlocalities. The genera Ogma, Paralongidorus and Pratylenchus were each identified from a single locality.A number ofnematode / plant associations are recorded for the first time in South Africa.

INTRODUCTION

According to Brzeski (1989) our knowledge ofnema­tode disease in the forest environment is incom­plete. To address this situation, forests and planta­tions were included in the South African Plant­Parasitic Nematode Survey program, which wasinitiated in 1987 (Van Vuuren, 1992). Since 1991 atotal of 19 papers on nematodes found in SouthAfrican forests were published by the NematologyUnit (ARC-Plant Protection Research Institute),thus enhancing our knowledge of our forest environ­ment (Van den Berg, 1991; De Waele and Kilian,1992; Kleynhans, 1992; Van den Berg, 1992a, 1992b;Decraemer and Marais, 1993; Marais, 1993; Maraisand Buckley, 1993; Van den Berg, 1993; Swart,1994; Van den Berg, 1994; Kleynhans et al., 1996;Marais and Van den Berg, 1996; Van den Berg,1996; Swart, 1997; Marais, 1998; Marais and Swart,1998; Van den Berg, 1998). As a continuation of theSAPPNS program a survey was conducted in theLottering Plantation (33.57°S, 23.44°E), EasternCape Province. Twenty seven soil samples werecollected from March 1996 to November 1999 toestablish the incidence of plant nematodes in thisplantation.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Twenty seven soil samples were taken to a depth ofabout 30 em in the plant rhizosphere, at variouslocalities throughout the plantation. In cultivatedtree compartments three randomly selected treeswere sampled in each compartment and the samplespooled. In natural vegetation a single sample wascollected at each site. Extraction and handling proce­dures were similar to those given by Marais and Vanden Berg (1996).

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Pinus compartmentsThirteen samples were collected from Pinus com­

.partments. Three of these samples contained noplant nematodes and a further five contained only asingle nematode species. Ten species belonging toseven genera (Table 1) were identified. None of thesenematodes were present in high numbers.Paratylenclius baldacci is a new record for SouthAfrica. The association between Pinus trees and twospiral nematodes namely Ro~lenchus incultus andScutellonema tsitsikamense are also new records forSouth Africa, Soil particle size analyses and pH­values of samples collected in Pinus compartmentsare given in Table 2.

Indigenous forestSix samples were taken in two pockets of indigenousforest within the plantation. Seven species belongingto six genera were recorded (Table 1). All thesenematodes were previously reported from indigenousforests (Marais and Buckley, 1993; Van den Berg,1993; Marais and Van den Berg, 1996; Van den Berg,1996). An interesting phenomenon was thatTrichodorus vandenbergae, a common nematode inindigenous forests in the Eastern - and Western CapeProvinces, was not found during this survey. Thespiral nematode Scutellonema tsitsikamense was themost common nematode, it was found at four of thelocalities. Soil particle size analyses and pH-values ofsamples collected in indigenous forest areas are givenin Table 2.

FynbosEight soil samples were taken in Fynbos areasthroughout the plantation. Twenty three speciesbelonging to ten genera were recorded (Table 1).

Suid-Afrikaanse Bosboutydshrif- nr. 186, November 1999 77

Helicotylenchus ltydrophilus is a new record for SouthAfrica. The ring nematode Criconema simplex wasfound for the first time outside the type locality(Marais and Van den Berg, 1996). An undescribed

sheath nematode (Hemicycliophora sp.) was found onthe Tsitsikamma hiking trail. Soil particle size analy­ses and pH-values are of samples collected in fynbosareas given in Table 2.

TABLE 1. Plant nematodes found in the Lottering Plantation according to veld type/plant association

Pinus spp,Indigenous

FynbosforestBELONOLAIMIDAETylenchorliynchus spp. - - 3"l,

PRATYLENCHIDAEPratylenchus spp. - 1 -

HOPLOLAIMIDAE -

Rotylenchus spp. - - 1Rotylenchus alius 2 - 1Rotylenchtis breuicaudatus - - 1Rotylenehus incultus 1" - 1Rotylenclius unisexus - - 1"Helicotylench.us spp. 1 - 2Helicotylenchus brevis - 3 -

Helicotylenclius dihystera 2 - 1Helicotylenchue exallus 1 2 2"Helicotylenclius hydrophilus - - 1"Scutellonema bizanae - - 2Scuiellonema brachyurus - - 2Scutellonema tsitsikamense 1" 4 1"Rotylenchulus parous - - 1"

CRICONEMATIDAECriconema spp. - - 1Criconema sanctifrancisci - - 1"Criconema simplex - - 3Criconemoides parous 1 - 1"Mesocriconema spp. 1 1 1Mesocriconema sphaerocephalum. - - 1Ogma spp. - 1 -

Hemicycliophora spp. - - 2Hemicycliophora labiata - - 2

TYLENCHULIDAEParatylenchus baldaccii 2" - -

LONGIDORIDAEParalongidorus spp. - 1 -

Xiphinema spp. 1 - -Xiphinema hardinai - - 1

a New nematode plant associations for South Africab Number of localities where the nematode species was found

TABLE 2. Soil analysis

Veld type/ plant Soil pH-value % clay % silt lYo sandPinus son. 4,5 (3 9-5,1) 5 (0-11) 25 (8-39) 70 (50-90)Indigenous forest 4,4 (3,8-5,0) 8 (5-13) 20 (5-36) 72 (51-89)Fvnbos 43 (3 7-49) 3 (0-8) 12 (8-25) 85 (66-91)

78 South African Forestry Journal-No. 186 November 1999

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Wethank Mr. S.G. Marais (formerly the SilviculturalForester of the Lottering Plantation, SAFCOL) forcollecting and assistance in collecting the soil sam­ples, Dr. E. van den Berg for species identificationand Mrs. N.H. Buckley (ARC-PPRI) for technicalassistance.

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