Occurrence, Distribution and Plant Associations of Plant Nematodes in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

A total of 31 genera and 20 species of plant nematodes as well as 511 nematode-plant associations were recorded in this report. The recording was based on data from samples processed in our laboratory and from existing information available in many scattered sources. Since the publication of the first nematode host-index in Saudi in 1984, ten genera and six species of nematodes, and 298 plant associations were added. The additional six species were : Heterodera avenae, Meloidogyne arenaria, Pratylenchus penetrans, Rotylenchulus reniformis and R. macrosomus. Geographic distribution of the recorded nematodes and associated plants varied among regions, but the root-knot nematodes are the most widespread and damaging nematodes on vegetables all over the Kingdom. The genera recorded the highest plant associations were : Meloidogyne (94), Aphelenchus (57), Longidorus (47), Tylenchorhynchus (42), Xiphinema (36), and Helicotylenchus (33).