Potato cyst nematodes (PCN), Globodera rostochiensis and G. pallida are quarantine pests of potatoes with great economic importance worldwide. PCN causes yield losses of between 80% to total crop failure if left unmanaged. They also exhibit prolonged diapause and quiescence in the absence of a host, limiting the effectiveness of most available management strategies. PCN reliance on host chemical cues mainly available in the root exudates to initiate the hatching and host location offers great potential for developing sustainable management strategies. The current study discusses two strategies that exploit the chemical ecology of rhizosphere interactions between PCN and potato to disrupt the life cycle. The first strategy uses a biodegradable lignocellulosic matrix made from banana fibers sourced from waste parts of the plant (Wrap and Plant technology) as a seed wrap. Field trials to evaluate the effectiveness of this invention in the management of G. rostochiensis in Kenya showed that it significantly reduced PCN densities in the soil and increased potato yields by ~5-fold compared to the control (seed not wrapped). Investigations into understanding the mode of action revealed that the lignocellulose matrix could adsorb the chemical constituents of potato root exudates, including PCN hatching factors and chemoattractants. This significantly reduced PCN hatching and infection in young plants thus disrupting the pest's lifecycle. The second strategy uses naturally occurring plant-derived compounds to induce PCN hatch. Of the different classes of compounds identified in potato root exudates, steroidal glycoalkaloids and their respective aglycones showed PCN hatch stimulating ability in a concentration-specific manner. However, most second-stage juveniles that hatched in response to these compounds remained encysted. Using these compounds in stimulating hatch in the absence of a host provides excellent potential for induction of ‘suicidal hatching’ and promises an environmentally sustainable approach to managing PCN.

Disruption of the chemical signaling between potato and cyst nematode Globodera rostochiensis

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.