Nematodes associated with peas and beans in Scotland

SUMMARY Six hundred and sixty‐four soil samples from farms growing peas and beans in eastern Scotland were examined for plant parasitic and predatory nematodes. Neither pea cyst‐nematode, Heterodera goettingiana nor pea early‐browning virus disease were found. Stem nematode, Ditylenchus dipsaci was recorded in broad beans once. The most frequently occurring plant parasitic nematodes were Tylenchorhynchus dubius, Longidorus elongatus, Rotylenchus goodeyi and Helicotylenchus vulgaris but numbers were generally too small to cause damage. It is concluded that although potentially damaging plant parasitic nematodes occur in Scotland, nematode‐related diseases occur infrequently and are of little significance to the crop.