TABLE CONTENTS

Cereal Cyst Nematodes: A Threat and Challenge to Food Safety in China
Peng, D. (1), J.M. Nicol (2), S. Ou (1), D. Zhang (1), S, Chen (3), I.T. Riley (4) L.
Waeyenberge (5) & M. Moens (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) CIMMYT (International Maize and Wheat
Improvement Centre), ICARDA-CIMMYT Wheat Improvement Program, P.O. Box. 39 Emek, 06511, Ankara,
Turkey; (3) Institute of Plant protection, Hebei Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Baoding 100094, China; (4)
South Australian Research and Development Institute, Plant Research Centre, Waite Campus, Urrbrae SA 5064,
Australia; (5) Crop Protection-Institute for Agricultural and Fisheries Research, 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
Wheat is a major food staple in China who produces the largest volume of wheat
(120Mt/year) with average yields of 4t/ha. Recent research has identified a widespread
distribution and high population density of the Cereal Cyst Nematode (Heterodera spp.).
New survey data in 2006-2007 in the Northwest China (Gansu, Shanxi, Ningxia and Qinghai)
has found CCN in all provinces (58% of 168 soil and root samples). With this new finding
CCN (H. avenae) has now been reported from 11 provinces in China also including Hubei,
Henan, Hebei, Beijing suburb, Inner Mongolia, Anhui, Shandong. The populations of CCN in
these drier northern provinces such as Qinghai were 14-37 eggs/g soil, with an average
density of 29 eggs/ g soil. The CCN incidence in the higher rainfall central provinces of
Hubei, Beijing, Hebei and Henan is high ranging from, 64-98%, with the range of density in
these 4 provinces ranging from 0.6-50 eggs/g soil, with an average 5 eggs/g soil. Overall in
China the population density is much greater compared to other countries where CCN has
been reported to cause economic damage in wheat.
Preliminary yield loss trials in 2005-06 and 2006-07, using Aldicarb 15G® (22.5kg/ha)
which provided around 60% control of CCN revealed the losses on common Chinese wheat
cultivars to range from 0.42%-17.34% in Hebei and 10-40% in Henan.
Molecular characterization of 150 selected populations from Qinghai, Inner Mongolia,
Henan, Hebei using RFLP digest of the amplified rDNA-ITS region revealed a close
relationship to “type B” of H. avenae. One hundred and fifty ITS amplification products were
cloned and sequences were lodged in the GeneBank, to study the phylogeny and relationships
between CCN populations. The CCN National research network cooperation with CIMMYT
International, Australia (SARDI) and Belgium has been established. Work is underway to
investigate the biology, economic losses, resistance, pathotype, and management methods for
CCN, and China is a key member of the recently formed International Cereal Cyst Nematode
Initiative (ICCNI).
5 th International Congress of Nematology, 2008 169