青海省樱桃叶斑病病原菌的分离与鉴定

为明确引起青海省樱桃叶斑病病原菌的种类,本研究从西宁市城北区、海东市乐都区和贵德县的樱桃上采集有叶斑症状的叶片,采用组织分离法分离出病原菌,通过观察病原菌的形态特征,结合rDNA-ITS、EF-1α和Alt a 1基因序列分析对病原菌的种类进行了鉴定,并用柯赫氏法则进行验证。结果表明,共获得279株病原菌菌株,分属链格孢Alternaria alternata、细极链格孢A.tenuissima和刺盘孢属Colletotrichum spp.,分离频率分别为84.95%、5.02%和10.03%。采用柯赫氏法则进行离体叶片致病性测定,接种叶片100%发病,说明引起青海省樱桃叶斑病的病原菌为链格孢、细极链格孢和刺盘孢属真菌,且链格孢为主要病原菌。该研究结果可为青海省樱桃叶斑病的综合防治提供理论依据。     

北京市生菜链格孢根腐病病原菌鉴定

为明确北京市生菜链格孢根腐病的病原菌种类,采用常规组织分离法分离获得病原菌,依据柯赫氏法则对病原菌进行致病力检测,并利用分子生物学技术结合形态学鉴定确定病原菌分类地位。结果显示,从生菜病样组织中分离到2种病原菌共18株,形态学鉴定结果为芸薹链格孢Alternaria brassicae和万寿菊链格孢A. tagetica,分离比例分别为55.6%和44.4%,且二者均能单独侵染生菜根部,前者致病力较后者强,亦能复合侵染。对致病菌株进行GAPDH基因的PCR扩增和测序,并建立了基于GAPDH基因序列的系统发育树,聚类分析结果与形态学鉴定结果一致,因此证实北京市生菜链格孢根腐病是由芸薹链格孢和万寿菊链格孢复合侵染所致。     

辽宁省北镇市葡萄叶斑病的病原鉴定

近年来辽宁省北镇市出现一种葡萄叶斑病,症状表现为圆形或椭圆形小黑斑,病斑周围褪绿变黄,为明确引起该病的病原菌,利用组织分离法对病样进行分离纯化,采用多基因系统发育学分析(ITS、GAPDH、CHS-1、ACT、TUB2基因)和形态学特征观察对纯化后的菌株进行鉴定,并结合柯赫氏法则对其进行验证。结果确定病原菌为平头炭疽菌Colletotrichum truncatum.     

引起我国甜樱桃叶斑病的间座壳菌种类鉴定

为明确引起我国甜樱桃叶斑病的病原菌种类,于2019年在北京市、四川省、山东省和辽宁省对与已报道的其他叶斑病症状明显不同的一种甜樱桃叶斑病进行调查并采集病叶,通过组织分离法进行病原菌分离纯化,结合形态学特征和多基因(ITS、EF1-α、TUB2和CAL)系统发育分析对病原菌的种类进行鉴定,并采用离体叶片接种法进行致病性测定。结果显示,新发现的这种甜樱桃叶斑病通常从叶边缘产生圆形或不规则灰褐色病斑,病斑周围具黄色晕圈,有时形成穿孔。从病样中共分离纯化得到10株单孢系菌株,结合其菌落形态、分生孢子形态和大小等,以及多基因系统发育分析结果,最终将10株菌株鉴定为甜樱间座壳Diaporthe eres(5株)和大豆间座壳D. sojae(5株),致病性测定结果显示甜樱间座壳和大豆间座壳对甜樱桃叶片均具有致病性,完成柯赫氏法则验证。     

河南和广西地区紫云英匍柄霉叶斑病的病原菌鉴定

2019年-2020年,在我国河南省信阳市和广西壮族自治区南宁市种植紫云英的田间发现一种紫云英叶斑病。通过常规组织分离法分离得到7株真菌（菌株号为XZYB1~XZYB6、GX1）,经单孢纯化、形态学观察和多基因系统发育学分析（ITS-GAPDH-CAL）,结果显示7株真菌均为黄芪匍柄霉Stemphylium astragali。依据柯赫氏法则,选取菌株XZYB1和XZYB4无伤接种紫云英离体叶片,选取菌株GX1活体接种紫云英叶片进行致病性测定。接种5 d后离体叶片和活体植株叶片均发病,发病症状与田间症状一致,且再分离得到的菌株与接种菌株相同。据此,确定黄芪匍柄霉为该叶斑病的病原菌,并将病害定名为紫云英匍柄霉叶斑病。这是该病害在河南和广西发生的首次报道。本研究也为匍柄霉叶斑病的诊断与后续的防治策略提供了科学依据和理论指导。     

广东省江门市‘新会柑’叶斑病病原菌鉴定

近年来广东省江门市‘新会柑’上出现一种叶斑病,症状表现为叶尖和叶缘出现不规则的、带有黄色晕圈的棕褐色斑点。为明确引起该病的病原菌,作者利用组织分离法对病样进行分离纯化,采用ITS序列和LSU基因进行系统发育学分析,同时结合形态特征观察对纯化后的菌株进行鉴定,结合柯赫氏法则对其进行验证。结果确定病原菌为番茄匍柄霉Stemphylium lycopersici。     

洛阳地区牡丹3种主要叶部病害病原菌的分离与鉴定

为明确引起洛阳牡丹Paeonia suffruticosa叶部主要病害的病原菌种类及其症状特点,于2016年从洛阳市的4个牡丹种植区采集叶部病害样本,采用组织分离法进行病原菌的分离和纯化,柯赫氏法则回接验证病原菌的致病性,利用形态学与基因序列分析相结合的方法鉴定病原菌的种类。结果表明,洛阳地区牡丹叶部主要病害种类为牡丹红斑病、炭疽病和黑斑病,引起这三种病害的病原菌分别鉴定为枝孢霉菌Cladosporiumsp.、胶孢炭疽菌Colletotrichum gloeosporioides和链格孢菌Alternaria alternata。本研究为牡丹叶部病害的快速诊断与防治提供了理论依据。     

辽宁省白头翁叶斑病发生初报

本文首次报道了辽宁省药用植物白头翁叶斑病的发生危害、症状描述及病原菌的形态特征,并进行了病原菌的分离和纯化。分离得到的菌株按照柯赫氏法则进行了致病性测定。初步研究结果表明,白头翁叶斑病是由银莲花壳二孢(Ascochyta anemones Kab..et Bub.)真菌侵染所致。针对此病害的发生特点,本文初步提出了相应的防治措施。     

茶树链格孢叶斑病的病原鉴定

茶树是我国重要的经济作物,茶园叶病的流行会造成严重的经济损失。2017年10月到2018年1月从安徽、福建和湖北省茶区的9个茶树品种上采集代表性茶叶斑病叶,该病害的发病症状与由Colletotrichum spp.引起的茶炭疽病相似。采用组织分离法从发病叶片组织分离获得26株菌落形态一致的真菌分离物,显微镜观察结果显示,各菌株分生孢子的产生方式和形态特征相似。为进一步明确菌株的分类地位,选取2株来自安徽庐江和宣城地区的代表性菌株(EC-6和XBC1-3)进行多基因片段的PCR扩增和序列分析。结果表明,代表性菌株EC-6和XBC1-3的ITS、gpd、tef-1a基因序列分别与交链格孢Alternaria alternata参考菌株CBS 107.27的序列(KP124300, KP124157, KP125075)相似性为100%、99%和100%,结合菌株形态学观察以及柯赫氏法则验证,证实交链格孢是引起该茶树叶斑病的致病菌。这是在安徽茶区首次发现由致病性链格孢引起茶树叶斑病。     

糜子细菌性条斑病病原菌鉴定及其对13种杀菌剂的敏感性

为有效防治糜子细菌性条斑病,采用平板划线分离法对2016年自黑龙江省齐齐哈尔市采集的罹细菌性条斑病的糜子植株进行病原菌分离与纯化,依据柯赫氏法则对其致病性进行测定;采用Biolog自动微生物鉴定系统、16S rDNA和16S-23S rDNA间隔区序列分析及病原菌的生理生化反应对病原菌进行鉴定;并测定该病原菌对13种常用杀菌剂的敏感性。结果显示,从糜子叶片和叶鞘病斑中共分离纯化获得10株培养性状一致的菌株,经柯赫氏法则验证均为细菌性条斑病病原菌。经Biolog鉴定,3株代表菌株与标准菌株燕麦噬酸菌Acidovorax avenae的相似值分别为0.716、0.705、0.723,序列分析显示,这3株代表菌株与燕麦噬酸菌燕麦亚种A. avenae subsp. avenae的一致性为99%以上;该病原菌的革兰氏染色反应及碳源利用等生理生化反应与对照菌株燕麦噬酸菌ICMP3183表现一致。因此,确定糜子细菌性条斑病病原菌为燕麦噬酸菌。糜子细菌性条斑病病原菌代表菌株MZ121101对80%乙蒜素乳油、30%乙蒜素乳油及0.3%四霉素水剂的敏感性较高,抑制中浓度EC50介于389.31～939.94μg/mL之间,这2种药剂可作为防治糜子细菌性条斑病的首选药剂。     

Tumours of Begonia and some other ornamentals,induced by Corynebacterium fascians

In 1975 many tumours were observed in plants ofBegonia Schwabenland grown in Aalsmeer. Submersion of the roots ofNicotiana megalosiphon seedlings in a homogenate of tumorous tissue, induced tumours after two weeks. Short periods of submergence yielded results similar to those obtained after longer periods. Tumour homogenates lost their infectivity after ten min at 50°C. Aphids transmitted the infectious agent.Treatment with propylene oxide did not inhibit infectivity completely. Filtration through a 450 nm filter removed the infectious agent.Tobacco tumor virus or a viroid could not be isolated. Cultures ofCorynebacterium fascians, isolated from tumours ofN. megalosiphon were highly infectious and induced tumours in healthyN. megalosiphon andBegonia. Tumorous tissue homogenates ofPelargonium zonale, Dahlia sp.,Gladiolus sp., andLilium sp. also caused tumours inN. megalosiphon, from whichC. fascians was isolated. It was not possible to produce tumours inN. megalosiphon with homogenates from roses with symptoms of bud proliferation.Samenvatting In 1975 werden vele tumoren waargenomen inBegonia Schwabenland op Aalsmeerse bedrijven (Fig. 1). De infectiositeit van tumorweefsel kon goed en snel worden vastgesteld door de wortels van zaailingen vanNicotiana megalosiphon in een homogenaat van tumorweefsel te dompelen. Tumoren ontstonden na twee weken, de eindbeoordeling geschiedde na een maand (Fig. 2). Ook verschillende andereNicotiana spp.,Melilotus officinalis (Fig. 3) enPisum odoratum (Fig. 4) werden aangetast.Bij de infectiositeitstoets gaven zeer korte dompeltijden even goede resultaten als langere (Tabel 1). Infectieus sap verloor zijn infectievermogen na 10 min verhitting bij 50°C. Bladluizen brachten de smetstof over. Propyleenoxide verminderde de infectiositeit wel, doch onderdrukte deze niet totaal. Bij filtratie door een 450 nm filter bleef het infectieuse agens op het filter achter. Het tumor-inducerende agens was ook aanwezig in die delen van planten met tumoren welke gezond leken en het ging voor een gering deel over met zaad (Tabel 2).Uit tumoren konden wij geen tabakstumorvirus of een viroïde isoleren. Culturen vanCorynebacterium fascians, geïsoleerd uit tumoren vanN. megalosiphon bleken zeer infectieus en veroorzaakten tumoren inN. megalosiphon enBegonia. Homogenaten van tumorweefsel vanPelargonium zonale, dahlia (Fig. 5), gladiool (Fig. 6) enLilium Mid Century Hybrid Enchantment (Fig. 7) veroorzaakten ook tumoren opN. megalosiphon, waaruitC. fascians werd geïsoleerd. Met sap van kroeskopzieke rozen konden wijN. megalosiphon niet besmetten.     

Plant Viruses Transmitted by Whiteflies

One-hundred and fourteen virus species are transmitted by whiteflies (family Aleyrodidae). Bemisia tabaci transmits 111 of these species while Trialeurodes vaporariorum and T. abutilonia transmit three species each. B. tabaci and T. vaporariorum are present in the European–Mediterranean region, though the former is restricted in its distribution. Of the whitefly-transmitted virus species, 90% belong to the Begomovirus genus, 6% to the Crinivirus genus and the remaining 4% are in the Closterovirus, Ipomovirus or Carlavirus genera. Other named, whitefly-transmitted viruses that have not yet been ranked as species are also documented. The names, abbreviations and synonyms of the whitefly-transmitted viruses are presented in tabulated form together with details of their whitefly vectors, natural hosts and distribution. Entries are also annotated with references. Whitefly-transmitted viruses affecting plants in the European–Mediterranean region have been highlighted in the text.     

Epidemiology and simulation of population development of Sitobion avenae in winter wheat

The epidemiology ofSitobion avenae and its natural enemies in winter wheat was studied in 1975, 1976 and 1977. Immigration was important until the end of flowering. The alate immigrants had apterous offspring. These became the driving force in population growth. Their offspring were mostly alatae which usually left the field. A model of the epidemic was developed. Quantitative relations between the aphids and their environment were obtained from literature or established in laboratory trials. The model simulated population development and population composition from the beginning of June till the population peak at the end of June or early in July. Because quantitative data on relations between aphids and their natural enemies and pathogens are scarce, and since the knowledge on wing formation is still limited, the population collapse could not be predicted. In the future, prognosis over a period of three weeks seems possible.Samenvatting De toenemende betekenis van graanbladluizen (vooralSitobion avenae) gepaard gaande met een sterke toename van het gebruik van insecticiden op granen maakte verbetering van de prognose over het schadelijk optreden wenselijk. Door gedetailleerde tellingen in het veld (Fig. 1–7) werden gegevens verkregen over het verloop van de epidemie en het optreden van natuurlijke vijanden in 1975, 1976 en 1977.Een immigratieperiode tot in de bloei kon worden vastgesteld. Daarna lijkt de aantrekkelijkheid van het gewas voor alate luizen te verminderen. De alate immigranten krijgen aptere nakomelingen. Deze vormen de stuwende kracht van de populatiegroei. De nakomelingen van apteren zijn merendeels alaat. Zij verlaten het gewas.Een model van de populatieontwikkeling gedurende de epidemie werd opgesteld. De relatiediagrammen Fig. 9 en 10 laten groei en ontwikkeling vanS. avenae en een predator (Syrphus corollae) zien. Kwantificering van de betrekkingen werd mogelijk door literatuurgegevens en laboratoriumexperimenten.Met het model kon de populatieontwikkeling vanS. avenae vanaf begin juni tot aan de populatiepiek in 1975, 1976 en 1977 vrij goed worden gesimuleerd (Fig. 12). Ook de populatieopbouw kon worden gesimuleerd (Fig. 14). De teruggang van de populatiedichtheid blijkt moeilijker te voorspellen door het ontbreken van gegevens over natuurlijke vijanden.Het lijkt waarschijnlijk dat in de toekomst met het model een prognose over de piek van de bladluispopulatie circa 3 weken tevoren mogelijk zal zijn.     

Relationships of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Barley yellow dwarf virus</Emphasis>-PAV and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cereal yellow dwarf virus</Emphasis>-RPV from Iran with viruses of the family <Emphasis Type="Italic">Luteoviridae</Emphasis>

Barley yellow dwarf disease is one of the most important problems confronting cereal production in Iran. Barley yellow dwarf virus-PAV (BYDV-PAV) and Cereal yellow dwarf virus-RPV (CYDV-RPV) are the predominant viruses associated with the disease. One isolate of BYDV-PAV from wheat (PAV-IR) and one isolate of CYDV-RPV from barley (RPV-IR) were selected for molecular characterisations. A genome segment of each isolate was amplified by PCR. The PAV-IR fragment (1264 nt) covered a region containing partial genes for coat protein (CP), read through protein (RTP) and movement protein (MP). PAV-IR showed a high sequence identity to PAV isolates from USA, France and Japan (96–97%). In a phylogenetic analysis it was placed into PAV group I together with PAV isolates from barley and oats. The fragment of RPV-IR (719 nt) contained partial genes for CP, RTP and MP. The sequence information confirmed its identity as CYDV. However, RPV-IR showed 90–91% identity with both RPV and Cereal yellow dwarf virus-RPS (CYDV-RPS). Phylogenetic analyses suggested that it was more closely related to RPS. These data comprise the first attempt to characterise BYD-causing viruses in Iran and southwest Asia. The nucleotide sequence data reported appear in the EMBL, GenBank and DDBJ Nucleotide Sequence Databases under the accession numbers AY450425 and AY450454     

Broad bean mottle virus in Morocco; curculionid vectors,and natural occurrence in food legumes other than faba bean (Vicia faba)

Broad bean mottle virus (BBMV) was transmitted from infected to healthy faba-bean plants by the curculionid weevilsApion radiolus Kirby,Hypera variabilis Herbst,Pachytychius strumarius Gyll,Smicronyx cyaneus Gyll, andSitona lineatus L. The latter appeared to be an efficient vector: acquisition and inoculation occurred at the first bite, the rate of transmission was c. 41%, and virus retention lasted for at least seven days.S. lineatus transmitted the virus from faba bean to lentil and pea, but not to the three genotypes of chickpea tested. This is the first report on the generaHypera, Pachytychius, andSmicronyx as virus vectors, and onA. radiolus, H. variabilis, P. strumarius, andS. cyaneus as vectors of BBMV.Out of 351 samples of food legumes with symptoms suggestive of virus infection, 16, 11, 19, and 17% of the samples of chickpea, lentil, pea, and common bean, respectively, were found infected when tested for BBMV in DAS-ELISA. This is the first report on the natural occurrence of BBMV in chickpea, lentil, pea, and common bean. The virus should be regarded as a food-legume virus rather than a faba-bean virus solely, and is considered an actual threat to food legume improvement programmes.     

Identification,incidence and characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium proliferatum</Emphasis>on ornamental palms in Spain

During a survey conducted from 1998 to 2002, Fusarium proliferatum was found associated with young and adult palms belonging to the genera Chamaerops, Phoenix, Trachycarpus and Washingtonia showing symptoms of wilt and dieback. The fertility and toxicological profile of 36 strains representing different locations and hosts were studied. All of them except two, which were infertile, belonged to mating population D. Both mating types (MATD-1 and MATD-2) were isolated from the same host species, showing a high potential of genetic recombination in the field. Additionally, eight strains were fertile once crossed as female. Toxin analysis showed differences in the ability of strains to produce fumonisin B₁, moniliformin, beauvericin, fusaric acid and fusaproliferin. Only 17 of them produced all the toxins analyzed. Pathogenicity tests were conducted on Phoenix dactylifera and P. canariensis using nine F. proliferatum Spanish strains and two reference strains from Saudi Arabia. Eight months after inoculation all strains caused disease, with palms showing lesions on the bases of leaves and development of wilt symptoms similar to those originally observed in affected plants. This is the first report on the occurrence of F. proliferatum on P. dactylifera in Spain and also the first report of this pathogen on C. humilis, P. canariensis, P. reclinata, T. fortunei, W. filifera and W. robusta.     

Recent observations on leafy gall in Liliaceae and some other families

Corynebacterium fascians, which causes leafy gall, has been shown to be responsible for the unusual symptoms recently found in lilies. The symptoms are described and the different bacterial isolates compared by biochemical, serological and pathogenicity experiments. No evidence could be found for the existence of specialized strains even though considerable variation in virulence could be demonstrated. Although the role of variation in susceptibility of the different lily cultivars should not be underestimated, it would appear that high inoculum levels ofC. fascians in the soil may be largely responsible for these outbreaks.Also included in this study are the results of biochemical, serological and pathogenicity experiments ofC. fascians which has been isolated fromKalanchoe, Euphorbia, Brodiaea, Hebe andVerbascum.Samenvatting Reeds een aantal jaren was in lelies een woekering in stengelbollen bekend, die echter sporadisch voorkwam en economisch van weinig betekenis was. Tijdens de zomer van 1977 echter trad de ziekte op één enkel perceel zo ernstig op dat zeer aanzienlijke oogstderving het gevolg was. Behalve de stengelbol kan ook de hoofdbol misvormd zijn. Bovendien kunnen misvormde stengelbollen lange spruiten vormen, zgn. sabeltandvorming. Soms is het wortelstelsel gereduceerd; in de kas zijn verdikte stengels waargenomen. De ziekte staat nu bekend onder de naam woekerziekte.Door de PD te Wageningen en het LBO te Lisse werd de bacterieCorynebacterium fascians (Tilford) Dows. uit het zieke materiaal geïsoleerd. In gezamenlijk onderzoek werd nagegaan of de bacterie de veroorzaker is van bovengenoemde symptomen en of hier sprake is van een op lelie gespecialiseerde stam.Biochemische en serologische vergelijkingen tussen isolaten vanC. fascians uit lelie,Kalanchoe, Euphorbia, Brodiaeea, Hebe enVerbascum laten zien dat er zeer weinig verschillen bestaan. Alle isolaten reageren op een standaard antiserum met titers variërend tussen 1: 640–1: 5120.Een oriënterende inoculatieproef werd uitgevoerd op het LBO in 1977. Daarna werden op de PD 10 van de 25 isolaten uit lelie en 8 uit andere waardplanten getoetst op lelie, chrysant en lathyrus. Uit de inoculatieproeven blijkt, dat de bacterie de veroorzaker is van de waargenomen symptomen. Tussen de isolaten blijkt een groot verschil in pathogeniteit te bestaan (12–100% aantasting), zonder dat dit aan herkomst gebonden is. Het voorkomen van op lelie of andere waardplanten gespecialiseerde stammen is daarom niet aan te nemen.In hoeverre de hevige aantasting een gevolg is van een opbouw van de bacterie-populatie door een te nauwe vruchtwisseling en mechanische rooimethoden moet worden nagegaan.     

A new <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhizoctonia</Emphasis> sp. closely related to <Emphasis Type="Italic">Waitea circinata</Emphasis> causes a new disease of creeping bentgrass

Isolates of an unidentified Rhizoctonia sp. (UR isolates) were obtained from creeping bentgrass and Kentucky bluegrass with reddish brown sheath and foliar rots. Because the UR isolates anastomosed with isolates of three varieties of Waitea circinata (var. oryzae, var. zeae, and var. circinata), colony morphology, hyphal growth rate at different temperatures, pathogenicity, sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacers (ITS) region of ribosomal RNA genes (rDNA) were compared. The colony color of mature UR isolates was distinct from isolates of the other three varieties of W. circinata. In pathogenicity tests on creeping bentgrass, the severity of the disease caused by UR isolates was significantly higher than that caused by the three varieties of W. circinata. Sequence similarities of the rDNA-ITS region between UR isolates and between isolates within each variety were high (97–100%), but they were lower among isolates from UR and the varieties of W. circinata (88–94%). In a phylogenetic tree based on the rDNA-ITS sequences, UR isolates formed a cluster separate from each of the clusters formed by the three varieties of W. circinata. These results indicate that the UR isolates clearly differ from the three varieties of W. circinata. We therefore propose that the UR isolates be classified as new Rhizoctonia sp. that are closely related to W. circinata and that the disease on creeping bentgrass should be called Waitea reddish-brown patch disease (Sekikasshoku-hagusare-byo in Japanese).     

Pathogenic fungi involved in root rot of peas in the Netherlands and their physiological specialization

Research on root rot pathogens of peas in the Netherlands has confirmed the prevalence ofFusarium solani, F. oxysporum, Pythium spp.,Mycosphaerella pinodes andPhoma medicaginis var.pinodella. Aphanomyces euteiches andThielaviopsis basicola were identified for the first time as pea pathogens in the Netherlands. Other pathogens such asRhizoctonia solani andCylindrocarpon destructans were also found on diseased parts of roots. F. solani existed in different degrees of pathogenicity, and was sometimes highly specific to pea, dwarf bean of field bean, depending on the cropping history of the field.A. euteiches was specific to peas, whereasT. basicola showed some degree of physiological specialization.     

Nematicidal Activity of Chrysanthemum coronarium

Organic amendments and green manure are potential alternatives to the harmful chemical control means currently used against plant-parasitic nematodes. In this work, Chrysanthemum coronarium was applied to the soil as a green manure to control the root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne incognita and M. javanica. Chrysanthemum coronarium significantly reduced nematode infection of tomato roots and improved plant-top fresh weight, both in the greenhouse and in microplots. Other green manures, derived from Anthemis pseudocotula, wild chickpea (Cicer pinnatifidum), Geranium spp. and wheat, were not as effective as C. coronarium. Chrysanthemum coronarium, retained its nematicidal activity even when applied as a dried material. Only mature C. coronarium plants, in their flowering stage, exhibited nematode control activity, but the green plant parts were more effective than the flowers. An aqueous extract of C. coronarium exhibited in vitro, nematostatic activity towards M. incognita and M. javanica second-stage juveniles and inhibited their hatching from eggs and egg-masses; its nematostatic activity was expressed also against other phytonematode species such as Heterodera avenae and Pratylenchus mediterraneus, but did not affect the beneficial entomopathogenic nematode Steinernema feltiae.