Morphological and molecular characterization of a new record Pratylenchoides nevadensis Talavera and Tobar, 1996 from wheat in Turkey, and its comparison with other world populations

Abstract

During a survey in April 2021, root and soil samples were collected from a wheat (Triticum vulgare L.) field in Samsun, Turkey. These samples were processed by the modified Baermann funnel method and a nematode belonging to the Pratylenchoides genus were detected. Extracted nematodes were identified by using morphological, morphometrical and molecular techniques. Standard morphological characters were measured and compared to those reported in previous studies. For molecular characterization, D2-D3 expansion segments of the 28S ribosomal DNA (rRNA) of the Pratylenchoides populations were extracted, amplified using PCR and then sequenced. The sequences were compared to those of Pratylenchoides species in the GenBank database. The NCBI BLAST analysis of Turkey population sequences revealed 100% similarity with the GenBank sequences from P. nevadensis (Accession no: KX789702.1). All identification methods indicated that this isolate is Pratylenchoides nevadensis Talavera and Tobar (Afr Asian J Nematol 6:46-49, 1996). This is the first report of P. nevadensis infecting wheat in Turkey.