Pratylenchus

Bernard, Ernest C, Chaffin, Angel G & Gwinn, Kimberly D, 2022, Review of nematode interactions with hemp (Cannabis sativa), Journal of Nematology 54 (1), pp. 1-18 : 6

Lesion nematodes ( Pratylenchus spp.)

Lesion nematodes are migratory endoparasitic nematodes. These nematodes enter roots and move through the cortex, killing the cells as they feed and weakening plant defenses. Romaniko (1963) reported Pratylenchus globulicola (Romaniko) on hemp. This species was synonymized with P. penetrans (Cobb) by Loof (1978), but was later validated as a distinct species ( Ryss et al., 2015). Fiber hemp ‘Kompolti Hibrid TC’ was an excellent host of Pratylenchus penetrans ( Kok et al., 1994) , with numbers comparable to a standard susceptible host; in a subsequent experiment on an unnamed fiber cultivar P. penetrans increased its numbers 4‒6 × above the initial inoculum ( Kok and Coenen, 1996). Dippenaar et al. (1996) found similar results on ‘Kompolti’ in South Africa, but other fiber cultivars (‘Fedora-19’, ‘Futura-77’, ‘Felina-34’, ‘Secuini’) were resistant. Also in South Africa, Van Biljon (2007a, 2007b) reported P. teres , P. zeae and P. scribneri associated with hemp; yield of ‘Kompolti’ fiber hemp was increased in lesion nematode-infested fields treated with 6 metric tons of chicken litter/hectare. In a Dutch field study, P. penetrans reproduced better on hemp than on 18 other field, vegetable, and forage crops ( Brommer and Beers, 2001). Pratylenchus thornei did not invade hemp roots in a Syrian field experiment ( Greco et al., 1988). There clearly is significant need for more research on hemp- Pratylenchus relationships. Members of this genus often partner with several wilt fungi in a number of destructive disease complexes, but the potential for nematode-wilt complexes on hemp has not yet been studied (see section below).