Host Range Assessment of Helicotylenchus pseudorobustus (Tylenchida: Hoplolaimidae) on Pasture Species

The host status of 15 commonly occurring pasture species for Helicotylenchus pseudorobustus was tested in a greenhouse trial. Only tall fescue, with and without Neotyphodium endophyte infection, was a good host (Pf/Pi = final/initial population > 1). Inoculation survival was tested in a second trial, which showed that only 10% of the H. pseudorobustus nematodes survived the first 7 days after inoculation. When the Pf/Pi was adjusted to account for a 10% survival, all of the grass and clover hosts tested had a Pf/Pi > 1. Both trials showed a positive correlation between increased numbers of H. pseudorobustus and free-living nematodes.