Bacterial-Feeding Nematode Growth and Preference for Biocontrol Isolates of the Bacterium Burkholderia cepacia

The potential of different bacterial-feeding Rhabditida to consume isolates of Burkholderia cepacia with known agricultural biocontrol ability was examined. Caenorhabditis elegans, Diploscapter sp., Oscheius myriophila, Pelodera strongyloides, Pristionchus pacificus, Zeldia punctata, Panagrellus redivivus, and Distolabrellus veechi were tested for growth on and preference for Escherichia coli OP50 or B. cepacia maize soil isolates J82, BcF, M36, Bc2, and PHQM100. Considerable growth and preference variations occurred between nematode taxa on individual bacterial isolates, and between different bacterial isolates on a given nematode. Populations of Diploscapter sp. and P. redivivus were most strongly suppressed. Only Z. punctata and P. pacificus grew well on all isolates, though Z. punctata preferentially accumulated on all isolates and P. pacificus had no preference. Oscheius myriophila preferentially accumulated on growth-supportive Bc2 and M36, and avoided less supportive J82 and PHQM100. Isolates with plant-parasitic nematicidal properties and poor fungicidal properties supported the best growth of three members of the Rhabditidae, C. elegans, O. myriophila, and P. strongyloides. Distolabrellus veechi avoided commercial nematicide M36 more strongly than fungicide J82.