Frequency of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes Associated with Blue Grama and Western Wheatgrass in the Western Dakotas. J. M. Krupinsky, Plant Pathologist, USDA, ARS, Northern Great Plains Research Center, Mandan, ND 58554. R. E. Barker, Research Geneticist, USDA, ARS, Northern Great Plains Research Center, Mandan, ND 58554; and P. A. Donald, Nematologist, 2935 Edgemont, Fargo, ND 58102. Plant Dis. 67:399-401. Accepted for publication 11 September 1982. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. The American Phytopathological Society, 1983. DOI: 10.1094/PD-67-399.

Samples of western wheatgrass and blue grama were collected in 24 counties in western North Dakota and 28 counties in western South Dakota. Plant-parasitic nematodes occurred in 59% of the 3,101 soil samples analyzed. The most widely distributed plant-parasitic nematodes were Helicotylenchus spp., Paratylenchus vexans, Xiphinema americanum, and species of the Tylenchorhynchinae. P. vexans was the most common species in North Dakota and ranked second for South Dakota. Helicotylenchus was the most common genus in South Dakota and ranked second in North Dakota. H. leiocephalus, H. glissus, H. exallus, H. pseudorobustus, and H. digonicus were found in 46, 30, 13, 8, and 5 counties, respectively. H. platyurus was found in one county. There were no differences between the grass collections or between North Dakota and South Dakota for X. americanum and species of the Tylenchorhynchinae. Tylenchorhynchus nudus, Quinisulcius acutoides, T. robustoides, T. maximus, Merlinius stegus, and T. canalis were found in 26, 25, 10, 9, 7, and 4 counties, respectively. T. pachys was found in one county. Criconemella xenoplax, Hoplolaimus galeatus, Pratylenchus sp., and Heterodera sp. were found in less than 3% of the collections.