A Mechanism of Density-Dependent Population Change in Heterodera glycines

Penetration level, female development and histological changes in infected root tissues were investigated following inoculation with different inoculum levels (110,440 and 1760 juveniles/plant) of Heterodera glycines (SCN) race 3 on susceptible ''Lee'' and resistant ''Pickett'' soybean cultivars. Penetration level was lower in Pickett at the higher inoculum levels but no differences were detected in Lee. However, the lower penetration level in the resistant soybean cultivar appeared not to be directly related to plant resistance (female maturation). The number of females recovered from Lee was lower at the highest inoculum level. The number of females maturing on Pickett was much less than that on Lee, showing that changes of SCN population is associated with the number of SCN maturing rather than nematode penetration. In Lee mono-infection sites (a single nematode per site) syncytia had dense cytoplasm and no central vacuoles. while multi-infected sites (many overlapping nematodes per site) had syncytia with a large central vacuole and many small vacuoles. Resistant responses in mono-and multi-infected root tissues of Pickett were delayed and rapid necrosis, respectively. The differences in tissue response are suggested as a mechanism that controls density-dependent population changes in resistant and/or susceptible soybean cultivars.