Poster
Yoonseon Do (she/her/hers)
Wageningen University & Research, Laboratory of Nematology
Wageningen, The Netherlands, NETHERLANDS
Janne van 't Klooster
Wageningen University & Research, Laboratory of Nematology
Wageningen, Gelderland, Netherlands
Mick de Blaeij
Wageningen University & Research, Laboratory of Nematology
Wageningen, Gelderland, Netherlands
Wout Leijdekkers
Wageningen University & Research, Laboratory of Nematology
Wageningen, Gelderland, Netherlands
Stefan J.S. van de Ruitenbeek
Wageningen University & Research, Laboratory of Nematology
Wageningen, Gelderland, Netherlands
Casper C. van Schaik
Wageningen University & Research, Laboratory of Nematology
Wageningen, Gelderland, Netherlands
Geert Smant
Wageningen University & Research, Laboratory of Nematology
Wageningen, Gelderland, Netherlands
Lisa van Sluijs
Wageningen University & Research, Laboratory of Nematology
Wageningen, Gelderland, Netherlands
Mark G. Sterken
Wageningen University & Research, Laboratory of Nematology
Wageningen, Gelderland, Netherlands
The potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida is a critical quarantine pest species causing a 9% global loss in potato production. The most effective control measure to prevent yield loss is the use of resistant potato varieties. However, in the last decade, resistance-breaking populations of G. pallida were detected in the Netherlands and Germany. Currently, it is unclear how virulence emerges and spreads within arable fields. We investigated three arable fields in the Netherlands with reported virulent populations. First, we sampled the fields in a dense, 20m grid, resulting in approximately 120 samples of 200g per field. We isolated and quantified the Globodera cysts and - via hatching assays - the larvae. Subsequently, we used whole-genome sequencing to evaluate the genetic diversity of the Globodera populations. Thereto, we randomly selected cysts from 33 positions within two of the fields. After whole genome sequencing, we called the segregating variants using both G. pallida and G. rostochiensis reference genomes and analyzed genetic diversity. We found highly heterogeneous infestations within fields, with some areas with inactive historic infestations as well as active infestations yielding many juveniles. These results were expected based on classic work on the distribution of Globodera infestation foci. These populations were highly heterozygous and diverse. These results will help in understanding the development of G. pallida populations over time.