Zafar Handoo

United States Department of Agriculture | USDA · Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

Specimens of a tylenchid nematode were recovered in 2019 from soil samples collected from a corn field, located in Pickens County, South Carolina, USA. A moderate number of Tylenchus sp. adults (females and males) were recovered. Extracted nematodes were examined morphologically and molecularly for species identification, which indicated that the s...

Root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) are sedentary endoparasites that cause severe economic losses to agricultural crops globally. Due to the regulations of the European Union on the application of nematicides, it is crucial now to discover eco-friendly control strategies for nematode management. Biocontrol is one such safe and reliable method fo...

The pathogenicity of the citrus nematode, Tylenchulus semipenetrans, on citrus, grape, olive, loquat, and persimmon species and cultivars was determined in several greenhouse tests. The results showed that T. semipenetrans infected and reproduced successfully on all the tested fruit species and cultivars. The citrus (lime, mandarin, and sour orange...

The North American beech leaf disease (BLD) nematode, Litylenchus crenatae mccannii Handoo, Li, Kantor, Bauchan, McCann, Gabriel, Yu, Reed, Koch, Martin and Burke, 2020, is recognized as a newly emergent nematode species that causes BLD in beech trees (Fagus spp.) in North America (Carta et al. 2020; Kantor et al. 2022a). Since the first report of...

Sauertylenchus maximus was discovered during a survey conducted at the Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia, for the type specimens of Hoplolaimus galeatus. Besides the fresh material, the fixed specimens of S. maximus were also studied by molecular and morphological means. The morphological and morphometric characteristics of the recovered fresh...

This is a compilation of articles published in the Special Issue Systematics, Morphological, and Molecular Characterization of Economically Important Plant–Parasitic Nematodes: A Themed Issue in Honor of Dr. Gary Bauchan in Plants. It includes a series of original research (seven) and review articles (four) focused on plant-parasitic nematodes incl...

The United States Department of Agriculture Nematode Collection (USDANC) has one of the largest and most valuable nematode collections in the world which includes millions of specimens. The collection was established in 1960 by A. Morgan Golden. Over the years, nematodes samples from 149 countries were incorporated into the collection. If we add al...

Plant-parasitic nematodes are microscopic worms that cause an estimated ten billion dollars of crop losses each year in the United States and 100 billion dollars globally. One problem with nematodes is that growers have no idea of how many kinds of nematodes exist and the host ranges of nematodes on specific crop cultivars such as medical hemp (Can...

In August of 2021, several cysts with juveniles and eggs were discovered during a vegetation survey conducted at the Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. Eight soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere region of the common grass (Festuca arundinacea L.) and processed at the Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory (...

In August of 2021, several cysts with juveniles and eggs were discovered during a vegetation survey conducted at the Arlington National Cemetery, Virginia. Eight soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere region of the common grass (Festuca arundinacea L.) and processed at the Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory (...

The pathogenicity of the root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne arenaria, M. incognita and M. javanica on spinach cvs. ‘Balady’, ‘Barkly’, ‘Orient’, ‘Pacific’ and ‘Solanicy’, Swiss chard cvs. ‘Balady’ and ‘Ford Hook’, and table beet cvs. ‘Asgro Wonder’, ‘Balady’, ‘Detroit Dark’ and ‘Detroit Spainal’ was determined in several greenhouse tests. The results...

Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) are important pests that cause an estimated ten billion dollars of crop loss each year in the United States and over 100 billion dollars globally. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) within the U.S. Department of Agriculture maintains and updates the U.S. Regulated Plant Pest list. Currently, the...

Heterodera carotae , the carrot cyst nematode, is a significant pest affecting carrot globally. Here we present the draft genome of H. carotae , which was generated from short read libraries from Illumina HiSeq technology, and the corresponding genome annotation.

The reactions of five spinach, four table beet, and two Swiss chard cultivars to infection with the cyst nematodes Heterodera schachtii and H. trifolii were studied under greenhouse condition. The results showed that the cultivars of spinach (‘Balady’, ‘Barkly’, ‘Orient’, ‘Solanicy’, ‘Pacific’), table beet (‘Balady’, ‘Detroit Dark Red’, ‘Detroit Sp...

Meloidoyne hispanica Hirschmann, 1986 specimens were recovered in 2019 from soil samples collected from a corn field located in Pickens County, South Carolina, USA. A high number of Meloidogyne hispanica juveniles were recovered through sieving and sugar centrifugal flotation method from rhizosphere of corn plants. Extracted nematodes were examined...

A high number of second stage juveniles of the root-knot nematode were recovered from soil samples collected from a corn field, located in Pickens County, South Carolina, USA in 2019. Extracted nematodes were examined morphologically and molecularly for species identification which indicated that the specimens of root knot juveniles were Meloidogyn...

The golden potato cyst nematode, Globodera rostochiensis (W ollenweber, 1923) Skarbilovich ( 1959) is a damaging soilborne quarantine pest of Solan um tuberosum (potato) and other solanaceous crops worldwide. In spring of 2021 a survey was conducted in area of Abo El Matamer, Bah era governorates in Egypt. Soil samples were taken in zigzag pattern...

Cactodera torreyanae Cid del Prado Vera & Subbotin, 2014 cysts were discovered during a Pale Potato Cyst Nematode (PCN) survey conducted by Minnesota Department of Agriculture as part of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) efforts to survey states for the presence of PCN. The soil samples were collected from a potato field, locat...

Beech leaf disease (BLD) was first reported in 2012 in Lake County, Ohio on American beech trees (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.). Since then, it spread across the Northeastern United States and has been reported from Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Maine, West Virginia, and Ontario, Canada (Carta et al. 2020; Marra an...

During nematode surveys in natural vegetation, a new species, described herein as Trichodorus marylandi n. sp., was identified in addition to Paratrichodorus species and Nanidorus minor from Maryland, USA, and three putative new Trichodorus species from California. Trichodorus marylandi n. sp. is about 1 mm long with a medium-sized onchiostyle 54 (...

Specimens of Trichodorus n.sp. were recovered during a nematode survey of natural vegetation along the bank of Western Branch Patuxent River from Upper Marlboro, Maryland. The length of the new species is about 1 mm, with a medium-sized onchiostylet. Males have a 42 µm long spicule on average, gubernaculum typical keel-like thickening posteriorly a...

The pin nematode, Paratylechus beltsvillensis n. sp. collected from rhizosphere soil of a Virginia pine tree (Pinus virginiana Mill) growing in Little Paint Branch Park, Beltsville, Prince George's County, Maryland, USA, is described and illustrated along with light and scanning electron photomicrographs. Females, males, and juveniles of this new s...

During the survey of soil and plant-parasitic nematodes of vegetable and fruit crops of Kashmir valley, Jammu and Kashmir, ten new species including two new genera of following were recovered: Fotedaronema kashmiriensis gen. n. sp. nov., from soil around roots of Pyrus communis L. from Sonamarg, Parasicagutter chitwoodi gen. n. sp. nov., from soil...

In 2019, Cactodera milleri cysts were discovered from soil samples collected from a Chenopodium quinoa field, located in Mosca, Alamosa county, Colorado, USA. Approximately 200 lemon shaped cysts and several hundred juveniles were recovered from the affected quinoa plants. The same species was also identified from several counties in Minnesota from...

The genus Cactodera, has fifteen known species. Cactodera milleri was originally described infecting the roots of common lambsquarter (Chenopodium album) in Michigan. Chenopodium quinoa is a known host for C. milleri since 1990 when Graney and Bird included it in the host range study of this species. In 2019, C. milleri cysts were recovered from so...

Root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) of the genus Pratylenchus Filipjev, 1936, are among the most important nematode pests on soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.), along with soybean cyst and root-knot nematodes. In May 2015 and 2016, a total of six soil samples were collected from a soybean field inWalcott, Richland County, ND and submitted to th...

In this study, molecular characterization of Paratylenchus nanus collected from the type locality in Four Mile Run, Fall Church, Virginia using COI, D2-D3 of 28 S rRNA and ITS rRNA gene sequences was provided. We molecularly also characterized, Paratylenchus specimens collected from grasses in Devils Lake, Ramsey County, North Dakota indicated as t...

The genus Cactodera,has fifteen known species. Cactodera milleri was originally described infecting the roots of common lambsquarter (Chenopodium album) in Michigan. Chenopodium quinoa is a known host for C. milleri since 1990 when Graney and Bird included it in the host range study of this species. In 2019, C. milleri cysts were recovered from soi...

During the survey of soil and plant-parasitic nematodes of vegetable and fruit crops of Kashmir valley, Jammu and Kashmir, seven new species and one new record of following species were recovered: Helicotylenchus siddiqii sp. nov. from soil around roots of Glycine max L. Miller, from Kashmir University Campus, Hazratbal, Srinagar, Kashmir; H. foted...

Punctodera mulveyi n. sp. is described and illustrated from turf grass (Poa annua) in golf course greens with other fescues in Bandon, Coos County, Oregon, USA. Females and cysts are characterised by a saccate, globose to ovoid or pear-shaped body with a protruding neck. The cuticle has a lace-like pattern of ridges and heavy punctations on the sub...

Nematodes are Earth's most numerous multicellular animals and include species that feed on bacteria, fungi, plants, insects, and animals. Foliar nematodes are mostly pathogens of ornamental crops in greenhouses, nurseries, forest trees, and field crops. Nematode identification has traditionally relied on morphological and anatomical characters usin...

Chia (Salvia hispanica L.) seeds are used for food, drinks, oil, and animal feed, and all plant parts are employed in traditional medicine. The growing demand for the seed has created a need for improved disease management. Plant-parasitic nematodes have been found on other Salvia spp., but none have been reported from S. hispanica. Chia has also n...

Root-lesion nematodes ( Pratylenchus spp.) are among the most important nematode pests on grapevine along with root-knot, dagger, and ring nematodes. In 2019, two samples of both soil and roots were collected from a vineyard in Delano, Kern County, California and submitted to the United States Department of Agriculture, ARS, Mycology and Nematology...

Ring nematodes of the genus, Mesocriconema are a group of polyphagous, migratory root-ectoparasites of plants. In a nematological survey of three governorates in Egypt, Mesocriconema sphaerocephalum (Taylor, 1936) Loof, 1989 was isolated from the rhizosphere of soil samples in five bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) fields, as a new host record, at B...

A foliar nematode, Litylenchus crenatae ssp. mccannii, is associated with beech leaf disease (BLD) symptoms. Information about the types of tissues parasitized and how nematode populations fluctuate in these tissues over time is needed to improve surveys as well as understand the nematodes role in BLD. During this study, the nematode was detected t...

The cover image is based on the Original Article Beech leaf disease symptoms caused by newly recognized nematode subspecies Litylenchus crenatae mccannii (Anguinata) described from Fagus grandifolia in North America by Lynn Carta, Gary Bauchan, Jennifer Koch et al., https://doi.org/10.1111/efp.12580.

In the summer of 2016, a field of corn (Zea mays) in Spencer County, Indiana was observed with heavily stunted plants, and from the affected roots a large number of cysts were recovered. Soil samples were submitted to one of us (JF), who extracted the nematode cysts and sent them to the USDA-ARS, Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biolog...

Journal of Nematology Volume 52,2020 Featured Article

In the spring of 2019, a cyst nematode was discovered from soil samples collected from an alfalfa field in Millard County, Utah. The soil samples were submitted to one of us (SH), who extracted the nematode cysts and sent them to the USDA-ARS, Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory (MNGDBL), Beltsville, MD for morphologica...

Symptoms of beech leaf disease (BLD), first reported in Ohio in 2012, include interveinal greening, thickening and often chlorosis in leaves, canopy thinning and mortality. Nematodes from diseased leaves of American beech (Fagus grandifolia) sent by the Ohio Department of Agriculture to the USDA, Beltsville, MD in autumn 2017 were identified as the...

The reaction of oat, eight wheat cultivars, and five weedy grasses to the cyst nematode Heterodera goldeni was studied in the greenhouse. The results showed that oat (Avena sativa (L.)) cv. Baladi, the common wheat (Triticum vulgare Vill.) cvs. Gemmieza 9, Gemmieza 10, Giza 168, Sids 1, Sakha 93, Sakha 94, and the durum wheat (T. durum Desf.) cvs....

The resistance of 4 cotton, 2 sesame, and 6 flax cultivars to the root-knot nematodes Meloidogyne arenaria (Ma), M. incognita race 1 (Mil) and/or M. javanica (Mj) was determined in green house studies. The results showed that the cotton cvs Giza 77, Giza 85, Giza 88, Giza 89 and sesame cvs Shandwil 1 and Toshka 1 were resistant (R) to the tested ne...

In the summer of 2016, a field of corn (Zea mays) in Spencer County, Indiana was observed with heavily stunted plants. From the affected roots, a large number of cysts were recovered. Spencer county's geographic location is just across the Ohio River from Kentucky, approximately 200 miles away from Hickman County, Kentucky, where the nematode was p...

In the spring of 2019, a soil sample collected from a golf course from Southern Oregon (Brandon, OR), was received by the USDA-ARS, Mycology and Nematology Genetic Diversity and Biology Laboratory (MNGDBL), Beltsville, Maryland for species identification. A large number of cysts and juveniles (J2) were separated from soil by sieving and Baermann fu...

In April 2018, a cyst nematode was discovered from soil samples collected from a cactus garden collection in Meridian, Ada County, Idaho, USA. The cactus garden collection field reported was observed with localized areas of heavily stunted plants. Roots from affected plants displayed moderate numbers of nematode cysts. Living nematode juveniles (J2...

Specimens of Heterodera have been collected from alfalfa fields in Kearny County, Kansas & Carbon County, Montana. DNA barcoding with the COI mitochondrial gene indicate that the species is not Heterodera glycines , soybean cyst nematode, H. schachtii , sugar beet cyst nematode, or H. trifolii , clover cyst nematode. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic...

The United States Department of Agriculture Nematode Collection (USDANC) is one of the largest and most valuable nematode repositories in existence and includes millions of specimens housed in over 40,000 permanent slides and over 9,400 vials. The USDANC was established in 1960 by A. Morgan Golden and currently contains more than 49,200 species ent...

The United States Department of Agriculture Nematode Collection (USDANC) is one of the largest and most valuable in existence and includes millions of specimens housed in over 39,800 permanent slides and 9,300 vials. This collection preserves type specimens of nematodes to serve as a reference for identifications and future taxonomic revisions. Als...

This book contains 17 chapters focusing on the biological, taxonomic and molecular characteristics of the plant parasitic cyst nematodes. The importance of the development of environmentally acceptable ways to manage and control these pests are also discussed.

This book contains 17 chapters focusing on the biological, taxonomic and molecular characteristics of the plant parasitic cyst nematodes. The importance of the development of environmentally acceptable ways to manage and control these pests are also discussed.

A new genus, Loffienema dhanoriensis gen. n., sp. n. is described and illustrated from soil mixed with mature compost of Biodiversity Park, Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah (BGSB) University, Rajouri, Jammu and Kashmir, India. It is characterized by medium-sized body, slightly offset labial region, weakly developed, isoglottoid stegostom, amphidelphic repr...

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines Ichinohe, is the most damaging pathogen of soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.), causing more than $1 billion in yield losses annually in the United States (Allen et al. 2017). The SCN distribution map updated in 2014 showed that SCN were detected in all major soybean-producing states in the U.S. exc...

Root-lesion nematodes (RLN; Pratylenchus spp.) are important pests on soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.). In May 2015 and 2016, six soil samples were collected from a soybean field in Walcott, Richland County, ND. Nematodes were extracted from soil using sugar centrifugal flotation. All the samples contained RLN from 125 to 2,000 per kg soil. One soi...

Lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) are important pests on soybean. In 2015 and 2016, nematodes in 11 soil samples from a soybean field in Richland County, ND, were extracted by decanting and sugar centrifugal flotation method (Jenkins 1964). Ten samples contained lesion nematodes ranging from 150 to 875/kg of soil. Soybean cultivar Barnes (n = 4)...

Spiral nematodes (Helicotylenchus spp.) are common plant-parasitic nematodes in fields of many crops. In June 2015, two soil samples were collected from a soybean field in Richland County, ND. Nematodes were extracted from soil using the sugar centrifugal flotation method (Jenkins, 1964). Plant-parasitic nematodes were identified to genus based on...

Lance nematodes (Hoplolaimus spp.) are an important group of ecto-endo parasitic nematodes that feed on plant roots and cause damage to crop production (Holguin et al. 2016). In August 2015, a soil sample was collected from a soybean field near Cogswell, Sargent County, ND, to investigate the occurrence of lance nematodes. Nematodes were extracted...

A population of Xiphinema chambersi from the root zone around live oak (Quercus virginiana Mill.) trees on Jekyll Island, GA, is described using both morphological and molecular tools and compared with descriptions of type specimens. Initially, because of a few morphological differences, this nematode was thought to represent an undescribed species...

Root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) are the most common nematode pests of potato. Five soil samples were collected in October 2014 from a potato field near Cogswell (Sargent Co.), ND, to investigate the occurrence of root-lesion nematodes. Nematodes were extracted from soil using the sugar centrifugal flotation method. All of the samples cont...

Stubby root nematodes are migratory ectoparasites that feed on roots, transmit tobraviruses, and cause significant crop loss (Mojtahedi and Santo 1999). In June 2015, three soil samples from a sugar beet field near Felton, Clay Co., MN, were submitted to the Nematology Laboratory at North Dakota State University for nematode assay. The soil texture...

During 2010-2012, a survey was conducted to determine the distribution and diversity of the cereal cyst nematodes (CCN), including Heterodera filipjevi, within the middle Volga River and South Ural regions of the Russian Federation. A total of 270 soil samples were collected. Seven populations of CCN were found in the rhizosphere area of various ce...

Although free-living nematodes improve soil health and crop production, plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) damage crop plants and reduce crop yield. In this investigation, surveys were conducted to determine the PPNs associated with Colorado tree fruit orchards, and research blocks were evaluated to study the effects of crops and production practices...

In a survey, specimens of dagger nematode (Xiphinema sp.) were collected from the soil around the rhizosphere of citrus trees (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck) with poor growth appearance and low yield from EL-Nobarria, EL-Behera governorate, northern Egypt, during 2012-13. Dagger nematode (Xiphinema rivesi Dalmasso, 1969) was identified on the morphol...