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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #400388
Research Project: Development of Knowledge-based Approaches for Disease Management in Small Fruit and Nursery Crops

Location: Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit

Title: First report of the root-lesion nematode, Pratylenchus penetrans, parasitizing hemp (Cannabis sativa) in Washington

Author
item Zasada, Inga
item NUNEZ-RODRIGUEZ, L - Oregon State University
item Rivedal, Hannah
item Peetz, Amy
item OCAMB, C - Oregon State University

Submitted to: Plant Health Progress
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/1/2023
Publication Date: 2/3/2023
Citation: Zasada, I.A., Nunez-Rodriguez, L., Rivedal, H.M., Peetz, A.B., Ocamb, C. 2023. First report of the root-lesion nematode, Pratylenchus penetrans, parasitizing hemp (Cannabis sativa) in Washington. Plant Health Progress. https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-12-22-0122-BR.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1094/PHP-12-22-0122-BR

Interpretive Summary: Plant-parasitic nematodes are microscopic round worms that cause up to $10 billion in crop loss in the United States. Hemp is an emerging crop that is receiving increased attention by farmers. The types of plant-parasitic nematodes associated with hemp is unknown in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. During a survey of plant-parasitic nematodes, the root lesion nematode, Pratylenchus penetrans, was discovered for the first time in association with hemp. It was demonstrated that the root lesion nematode can be recovered in high numbers from hemp and in a greenhouse study hemp was shown to be a host for P. penetrans. This information will be used by farmers and scientists to develop crop rotation and other management strategies targeting this nematode.

Technical Abstract: This is a first report of the root lesion nematode, Pratylenchus penetrans, associated with hemp. Samples were collected from a hemp field and Washington and high densities (4,473 nematodes/100 g root tissue) were recovered from roots. Extracted nematodes were then identified using molecular and morphological methods. Combined, these methods confirmed the identity of the nematode as P. penetrnas. A greenhouse experiment was conducted where hemp plants were inoculated or not with P. penetrans. After 8 weeks, P. penetrans was extracted from roots and enumerated. Hemp was a good host for P. penetrans with a 2 fold increase in population density. This confirmed the close endoparasitic association of P. penetrans with hemp also demonstrated by the extraction of large numbers of P. penetrans from hemp roots collected in the field. To our knowledge, this is the first the report of P. penetrans infecting hemp not only in Washington but also in the United States.