THE OCCURRENCE, DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF PLANT PARASITIC NEMATODES IN FOREST AND FRUIT NURSERIES OF SLOVAKIA

Abstract

Communities of plant parasitic nematodes from the rhizosphere of various forest and fruit seedlings were studied in forest nurseries at 20 localities in ten regions and in fruit nurseries at three localities in three regions of the Slovak Republic, each with different topographic, climatic and geological conditions. A total of 29 species of plant parasitic nematodes were identified with 25 of them recovered from forest and 11 from fruit nurseries. The abundance of plant parasitic nematodes varied with the individual localities. The highest values were recorded in forest nursery in the Danubian lowland region, 169 specimens in 500 cm³ of soil, and in fruit nursery in the East Slovakia upland region, 183 specimens in 500 cm³ of soil. Predominating plant parasitic species was Helicotylenchus digonicus with the abundance of 1-156 specimens in 500 cm³ of soil in forest nurseries and 52-85 specimens in fruit nurseries.