Evidence for the involvement of the root lesion nematode Pratylenchus thornei in wheat yield decline in northern New South Wales

Factors responsible for a decline in wheat yields in some paddocks in the Gunnedah (northern New South Wales) area were investigated in a series of field experiments. Yield decline is not apparent on soils cultivated for less than 10 years, and barley and sorghum crops are not affected. Plant nutrition apparently is not a major factor in the decline, because, although there was a small response to zinc application in 1 experiment, wheat yields were not significantly increased by the application of N, P, K, Cu, Mg, B, Mn, Mo or S in a paddock where the yield of wheat was half that of the surrounding barley crop. Fumigation of the soil with methyl bromide increased wheat cv. Timgalen yield by 78% to equal that of barley cv. Clipper in a second experiment. Large numbers of root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus thornei) were associated with unfumigated wheat plots, with smaller numbers present on barley plots. In a third experiment, the grain yields of all of the 9 cereal genotypes tested were increased when sown with 4 kg/ha of aldicarb. The relative yield increase associated with aldicarb showed good correlation with the reputed tolerance of the genotypes to P. thornei. Pratylenchus thornei occurred to a depth of 120 cm. Aldicarb did not affect P. thornei numbers below 15 cm, while methyl bromide controlled P. thornei to depths of 30-90 cm. Aldicarb virtually eliminated P. thornei from the surface 10 cm of soil, but had no effect on the incidence of the fungal diseases common root rot (Bipolaris sorokiniana) or crown rot (Fusarium graminearum). Soil fumigation with methyl bromide controlled B. sorokiniana and F. graminearum as well as P. thornei and gave yields 9% higher than did treatment with aldicarb. In another experiment, ethylene dibromide (2.7-10.8 L/ha) had no consistent effect on the yield of wheat or numbers of P. thornei while terbufos (0.6 and 1.2 kg/ha) gave a small reduction in P. thornei numbers and a small increase in yield. These data indicate that P. thornei is at least partially responsible for wheat yield decline in parts of northern New South Wales.