Unveiling Hidden Enemies: Identifying Four New Records of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes Associated with Pome Orchards in Iran

Abstract

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) pose a critical challenge in agriculture, particularly when it comes to managing fruit orchards. To address the potential damage, our study aimed to analyze 110 soil samples from pome-fruit tree rhizospheres to identify PPNs. After transferring the samples to the lab, soil washing and nematode extraction were performed using a modified combination of the sieve and centrifugation method by Jenkins, followed by fixation and transfer to glycerin according to De Grisse’s method. The results showed that of the 27 identified species, Amplimerlinius parbati, Pratylenchus estoniensis, Rotylenchus bialaebursus, and R. secondus were new records for Iran. A. parbati was distinguished by between four and five head annuli, large stylet with downward knobs, and annulated tail with hemispherical shape. P. estoniensis was identified by two annuli in the lip region, well-developed empty spermathecal, and striated tail tip. R. bialaebursus possessed a rounded lip region with four annuli, phasmids in between nine and 12 annuli anterior to the anus, and a rounded tail with between six and eight annuli. R. secondus was recognized by conoid and slightly offset labial region without/with faint annulation, stylet pointed and less than 30 µm, rounded tail and vulva situated at 50–70%. Subsequently, the potential threat of the species to fruit orchards is discussed.