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Significance
The first lesion nematode was isolated from a meadow and described as Tylenchus pratensis (Pratylenchus pratensis) by de Man in 1880. Several other lesion nematode species were described prior to the designation of the genus Pratylenchus by Filipjev in 1936. Most notable of these was the description of P. coffeae in 1898 (Zimmerman), a devastating pathogen of coffee (Figure 20), banana, citrus, and a number of fruit trees. Lesion nematodes were used by W. B. Mountain in the 1950's to first demonstrate conclusively that nematodes were pathogens of plants. He reared these migratory endoparasites in plant roots under aseptic conditions and observed the production of root lesions by the nematodes.
 Figure 20 |
At present, more than 70 species of Pratylenchus have been described, with a combined host (plant) range of greater than 400 crop plant species. The lesion nematodes rank third behind root-knot and cyst nematodes as the nematodes of greatest economic impact in crops worldwide. This is not only due to their wide host range, but their distribution in almost every temperate and tropical environment. Crops of primary economic importance that are attacked by lesion nematodes include potato, coffee, banana, rice, corn, peanut, forage legumes, and many fruits.
Copyright © 2000
by The American Phytopathological Society