Exploring factors affecting the efficiency of resistant catch crops to control the beet cyst nematode

• Applicant: Dr. Rasha Haj Nuaima
• Subject Area: Plant Breeding and Plant Pathology
• Term: from 2021 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 467450516

The beet cyst nematode, Heterodera schachtii Schmidt, is one of the most important pests of sugar beet, and has been the subject of intensive investigations for over 150 years. Management of H. schachtii relies on a wide rotation of host crops with non-hosts, cover cropping with resistant hosts, and cultivating resistant or tolerant sugar beet cultivars. The resistant catch crops stimulate second stage juveniles (J2)of H. schachtii infection but do not permit nematode reproduction. According to this effect, the growing of resistant catch crops prior sugar beet should result in a reduction in the population density of H. schachtii and an increase in the yield of sugar beet. However, the use of Brassica catch crops to control H. schachtii has been investigated in many locations worldwide and mixed results have been obtained. It therefore appears that the efficiency of nematode-resistant catch crops towards H. schachtii is highly variable and further research into their use is necessary, especially as different results are obtained by different researchers in different countries and in different years. Based on our findings and findings of previous studies we want in this proposal to expand researches for investigating factors that impact the efficiency of resistant oilseed radish against H. schachtii. We will start to define if the potential of a nematode-resistant cultivar is related to the phenotypic and genetic characters of H. schachtii population. The ecological role of the J2-attached microbes and its effect on the J2 penetration into the plant roots were studied for Meloidogyne spp. and P. penetrans. In this proposal we want to expand the studies on the microbial attachment to J2 of H. schachtii, especially the interaction between the microbial attachers and the resistant oilseed radish in a population-specific manner. After all, the effect of the soil type on the effectiveness of the resistant oilseed radish to control H. schachtii will be defined in this project. Determining factors affecting the potential of nematode-resistant catch crops will be essential to fill gaps in our understanding of the use of trap crops as a part of integrated management of the beet cyst nematode H. schachtii.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants