EFFECT OF HETERODERA CICERI ON THE GROWTH OF SELECTED LINES OF CICER SPECIES

Abstract

A microplot experiment was conducted at ICARDA, Syria during spring 1991 to relate population densities of Heterodera ciceri (0, 1, 2, 8, 16, 32, 64 and 128 eggs/g soil) with shoot dry weights of susceptible chickpea (Cicer arietinum) lines ILC 1929 and ILC 846 and resistant lines ILWC 75 of C. bijugum, ILWC 212 of C. pinnatifidum and ILWC 119 of C. reticulatum. The tolerance limit to the nematode was 1.34 eggs/g soil for all tested lines. Minimum relative yields were, however, 0, 0.1, 0.3, 0.4, and 0.5 for ILC 1929, ILC 846, ILWC 75, ILWC 212 and ILWC 119, respectively. The maximum nematode reproduction rates were 51.7 (ILC 846), 75 (ILC 1929), 2.4 (ILWC 75 and ILWC 119), and 0.9 (ILWC 212). Numbers of new cysts, per cent of new cysts and eggs/cyst were similar for the susceptible lines and significantly less for the resistant lines.