The impact of nematodes on sugarcane cultivars

The susceptibility of sugarcane cultivars to a nematode community comprised of Mesocriconema xenoplax, Paratrichodorus minor, and Tylenchorhynchus annulatus was evaluated in greenhouse and microplot experiments. In greenhouse tests, across years (1995 and 1996) and cultivars (CP 65-357, CP 70-321, LCP 82-89, HoCP 85-845, and LCP 86-454), plant height, shoot length, shoot and root dry weight, and the number of tillers per plant were suppressed by nematodes. Growth parameters for the LCP cultivars were most affected by the nematodes, and those of cultivars HoCP 85-845 and CP 65-357 were least affected. In microplots, across years (1995, 1996, and 1997) and cultivars (CP 70-321 and LCP 82-89), nematodes reduced shoot and root dry weights and numbers of tillers per plant. LCP 82-89 supported higher nematode community levels and sustained the greatest amount of root damage. The results suggest that the commonly occurring nematode community is adversely affecting sugarcane productivity in Louisiana.