The sugarbeet cyst nematode in Italy: distribution, yield losses and control

Abstract

Sugarbeet (Beta vulgaris L. var. saccharifera Alefeld) is one of the major crops in Italy, covering about 250,000 ha. Three quarters of the total acreage is cultivated in the central and northern regions of the country. The Emilia Romagna region alone grows half of the Italian sugarbeets. In southern Italy, only in the Province of Foggia (Puglia), this crop plays an important role in several farms. Unfortunately many pests and diseases have been shown to cause severe yield losses to sugarbeet all over the country. Among them the sugarbeet cyst nematode, Heterodera schachtii, is reported as a pathogen in many regions.