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cereal cysts in soil debris

root deformation

crushed cyst contained many eggs

Oregon population of Heterodera avenae identified using PCR-RFLP procedures

spring wheat roots deformed by

Heterodera avenae

Cereal Cyst Nematode

Heterodera avenae

winter wheat plants stunted by Heterodera avenae in a field with no undulation (e.g., flat surface)

3rd-year annual spring wheat heavily damaged by Heterodera avenae combined with inadequate nutrition

patch caused by Heterodera avenae in winter wheat produced

in a 2-year rotation with chickpea

patch caused by Heterodera avenae plus suspected nutritional deficiency on an eroded hilltop;

winter wheat in a 2-year rotation with chickpea

Genetic Resistance to Cereal Cyst Nematode

The cereal cyst nematode ( Heterodera avenae ) can reduce yields of winter wheat and barley as much as 50% in infested soils when cereal crops are produced during two or more successive years, or when cereals are planted following broadleaf crops invaded by grass weeds. This nematode can cause total crop failure for spring cereals planted during successive years. H. avenae also occurs at low population levels in the main wheat-producing region of the Columbia Plateau, and is also now known to be present in six other western states. Current pest management emphasis is on genetic resistance, in collaboration with wheat breeding and nematology programs in Australia, France (INRA) and Turkey (CIMMYT). Although the populations of H. avenae in eastern and western Oregon are not clearly defined, the resistance genes Cre1 in wheat and Ha2 and Ha3 in barley completely impede reproduction of these populations. Crosses of a Cre1 donor with six Pacific Northwest-adapted winter and spring wheat cultivars have been made and are being advanced to develop genetic resistance to this pest in the Pacific Northwest.

Recently, Heterodera filipjevi, another member of the "H. avenae Group" of cereal cyst nematodes, was also discovered in Oregon. This is the first report of the occurrence of H. filipjevi in North America.

Representative papers include the following.

• Smiley, R.W., G.P. Yan, and Z.A. Handoo. 2008. First record of the cyst nematode Heterodera filipjevi on wheat in Oregon. Plant Disease 92: (in press) (full report).
• Smiley, R.W., R.G. Whittaker, J.A. Gourlie, S.A. Easley, and R.E. Ingham. 2005. Plant-parasitic nematodes associated with reduced wheat yield in Oregon: Heterodera avenae. Journal of Nematology 37:297-307.  (abstract)
• Smiley, R.W., R.E. Ingham, W. Uddin, and G.H. Cook. 1994. Crop rotations and sequences for producing winter wheat in soil infested with cereal cyst nematode and fungal pathogens. Plant Disease 78:1142-1149. (abstract)