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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Protection and Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #321098
Title: Interactions of microfungi and plant parasitic nematodes

Author
item LAMONDIA, J - Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
item Timper, Patricia - Patty

Submitted to: Book Chapter
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/15/2015
Publication Date: 1/13/2016
Citation: Lamondia, J.A., Timper, P. 2016. Interactions of microfungi and plant parasitic nematodes. Book Chapter. In Biology of Microfungi, De-Wei Li, ed. p 573-614..

Interpretive Summary: Plant parasitic nematodes and microfungi inhabit many of the same ecological habitats and interact in almost every conceivable way. Nematodes can feed on fungi, and conversely fungi can use nematodes as a food source. Fungi have been widely studied as biological controls of plant parasitic nematodes. Fungi can attract or repel nematodes and nematodes and fungi can interact to either directly or indirectly increase or even decrease plant disease. Nematodes can also feed on fungi and act as biological controls of plant disease. Plant parasitic nematodes likely obtained the cell-wall degrading enzymes necessary to successfully feed on plants from fungi through horizontal gene transfer. Finally, plant parasitic nematodes can interact with fungal pathogens or even nonpathogenic or weakly pathogenic fungi to increase plant disease.

Technical Abstract: Plant parasitic nematodes and microfungi inhabit many of the same ecological habitats and interact in almost every conceivable way. Nematodes can feed on fungi, and conversely fungi can use nematodes as a food source. Fungi have been widely studied as biological controls of plant parasitic nematodes. Fungi can attract or repel nematodes and nematodes and fungi can interact to either directly or indirectly increase or even decrease plant disease. Nematodes can also feed on fungi and act as biological controls of plant disease. Plant parasitic nematodes likely obtained the cell-wall degrading enzymes necessary to successfully feed on plants from fungi through horizontal gene transfer. Finally, plant parasitic nematodes can interact with fungal pathogens or even nonpathogenic or weakly pathogenic fungi to increase plant disease.