Incidence and Population Density of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes on Golf Courses in Ontario and Québec, Canada

Thirty-eight golf courses from different climatic areas located in Ontario and Quebec, Canada, were surveyed for plant-parasitic nematodes on greens, fairways, and roughs in 2002 and 2003. Sixteen, 15 and 12 genera of plant-parasitic nematodes were found on golf greens, fairways and roughs, respectively. Roughs showed higher Simpson's D diversity indexes as compared to greens and fairways. Linear regression model comparing plant-parasitic nematode (all genera) abundance as a function of spatial coordinates showed difference (P = 0.05) along a north-south axis and no difference (P > 0.05) along an east-west axis. Pratylenchus was the most frequent genus recovered on greens and fairways, whereas Tylenchus was the most common on roughs. Among the genus Pratylenchus, P. crenatus was frequent and widespread, whereas P penetrans and P thornei were uncommon. The principal component analysis showed that nematode are related mostly to soil chemical (pH, P, K, O.M.) rather than physical (sand, silt) parameters. Overall, the correlations between soil parameters and nematode counts were low, particularly for Heterodera, Mesocriconema, Paratylenchus and Psilenchus.