Effect of population densities of Meloidogyne artiellia on yield of wheat

Abstract

lvfeloidogyne artiellia Franklin was first reported from England on cabbage (Franklin, 1961). The nematode has since been reported from Greece and associated with decline of wheat (Kyrou, 1969), from France on cabbage, cereals and legumes (Ritter, 1972), from Spain on barley, wheat and chickpea (Tobar-Jimenez, 1973) and from Syria on stunted chickpea (Greco et al., 1984). Meloidogyne artiellia has been found on chickpea in Italy (Greco, 1984), often in association with severe decline of durum wheat in the South. The pathogenicity of M. artiellia has not been investigated under field conditions and therefore an experiment was undertaken in 1986-1987 in Italy to assess yield losses of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) caused by the nematode.