TABLE CONTENTS

Molecular Characterization and Diagnosis of the Important Plant Parasitic
Nematodes in China
Peng, D. (1), J. Zheng (2), M. Moens (3,4) & S.A. Subbotin (5)
(1) State Key Laboratory for Biology of Plant Diseases and Insect Pests, Institute of Plant Protection, Chinese
Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100094, China; (2) Institute of Biotechnology, Zhejiang University,
Hanzhou 310029, China; (3) Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, Burg. Van Gansberghelaan 96,
9820 Merelbeke Belgium; (4) Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium; (5)
Plant Pest Diagnostics Center, California Department of Food and Agriculture, Sacramento, CA 95832, USA.
The soybean cyst nematode Heterodera glycines, potato rot nematode Ditylenchus destructor,
root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne spp. and dagger nematodes Xiphinema spp. are major
indigenous nematode pests in China. Bursaphelenchus xylophilus and Radopholus similis are
considered to be introduced to the country. Molecular methods using PCR are successfully
applied for rapid, fast and reliable diagnostics of several of these pests. During the last years
we developed PCR-ITS-RFLPs for the identification and detection of B. xylophilus, R.
similis, H. glycines, D. destructor, Meloidogyne spp. and Xiphinema spp. in China. Duplex
PCR procedures with species-specific primers amplifying ITS-rRNA fragment were designed
to detect B. xylophilus and R. similis. SCAR PCR (sequence characterized amplified regions)
was successfully used for detection of H. glycines. Comprehensive sequencing and RFLP
analysis of the ITS-rRNA from 21 populations of D. destructor from sweet potatoes in China
and one Korean population from garlic revealed at least two types of the ITS-rRNA. Results
of this study allowed developing the duplex PCR with specific primers distinguishing
between type A and type B of ITS-RNA for D. destructor. Present and future projects target
at the development of new molecular diagnostics tools for other nematodes important for
Chinese agriculture.
The Application of Molecular Diagnostics in the U.S. Cooperative
Agricultural Pest Survey Program
Powers, T.O.
Department of Plant Pathology, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE USA 68583-0722
The Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey Program in the U.S. is a federally funded program
that targets specific exotic pests for regulatory action. Phytosanitary certification is issued by
state agencies once it is determined that production fields and the agricultural commodity is
free of regulated pests. The species-level identification required by the program provides
challenges to the nematode diagnostician. Molecular techniques add resolution to
identifications, but also focus attention on specific problems. These include the determination
of species boundaries, the need to characterize closely related non-target species, mixedspecies
field populations, and lack of relevant molecular information from many exotic
species. Examples derived from 2002-2007 laboratory analysis will be presented with special
emphasis on identification of Meloidogyne and Heterodera species.
5 th International Congress of Nematology, 2008 98