Occurrence and pathogenicity of plant-parasitic nematodes on commonly grown banana cultivars in South Africa
Date
2015Author
Daneel, Mieke
De Smet, Michele
De Jager, Karen
Van den Bergh, Inge
De Waele, Dirk
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
A preliminary and limited nematode survey was conducted in the three main banana-producing areas of
South Africa, namely Onderberg, Hazyview (both in Mpumalanga Province), and the South Coast of Kwazulu/
Natal Province. Root and soil samples were taken from ‘Chinese Cavendish’ (AAA), ‘Dwarf Cavendish’ (AAA),
‘Grand Nain’ (AAA), ‘Williams’ (AAA) and ‘Goldfinger’ (syn. ‘FHIA-01’, AAAB). The burrowing nematode,
Radopholus similis, the coffee root-lesion nematode, Pratylenchus coffeae, mixed populations of root-knot
nematodes, Meloidogyne incognita and Meloidogyne javanica, and the spiral nematodes, Helicotylenchus
dihystera, H. multicinctus, H. pseudorobustus, and Scutellonema brachyurus occurred in all three areas with
the root-knot and spiral nematodes being most abundant. Radopholus similis, a well known damaging pest on
banana, was detected at low population levels. Other species found were Rotylenchulus reniformis, Paratylenchus
minutus, and Paratrichodorus minor.
‘Chinese Cavendish’, ‘Williams’, ‘Grand Nain’ and ‘High Noon’ (AAAB) were also evaluated in the
glasshouse for their response to R. similis and mixed populations of M. incognita and M. javanica. ‘Grand Nain’
was more susceptible to R. similis than ‘High Noon’, which allowed lower final nematode densities. It was also
found that large numbers of mixed populations of M. incognita and M. javanica did not have a negative effect on
the growth of banana plants in the glasshouse. ‘Chinese Cavendish’ and ‘High Noon’ had high root gall ratings
and nematode numbers in the roots, but the root systems still appeared fairly healthy