Distributed Egg Production Functions for Meloidogyne arenaria in Grape Varieties and Consideration of the Mechanistic Relationship between Plant and Parasite
Ferris, H.; Schneider, S.M.; Semenoff, M.C.
Journal of Nematology 16(2): 178-183
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-300X PMID: 19295898 Document Number: 228367
Nematode egg production rates, as mediated by environmental conditions and host status, are important determinants of population development. Rates of egg production by M. arenaria varied from 0.48 to 1.0 egg/female /DD10 (degree days above 10 degrees C) in different grape varieties. The length of the egg production period ranged from 550 to 855 DD10 where measurable, and was generally longer in those varieties where the production rate was slow. It is hypothesized that if a successful infection site is established, a constant number of eggs is produced if favourable environmental conditions prevail. Mechanistic coupling structures between plant growth and nematode population models are formulated. The nematode population influences metabolite supply through its effect on physiological efficiency and also acts as a metabolic sink; the degree of plant physiological stress influences nematode population development by affecting the sex ratio and egg production rates.