The distribution of the cereal cyst nematode (Heterodera avenae) in Victoria and its relation to soil type

Abstract

Surveys, based on the examination of cereal plants for infestation by Heterodera avenae Woll., have shown that this nematode occurs commonly in the Mallee and Wimmera districts of Victoria. Its occurrence elsewhere in the Victorian wheat belt appears to be restricted by soil type. Glasshouse trials have shown that the solonized brown soils of the Mallee, and the friable grey clay soils that occur in the Wimmera, are more suitable for multiplication of the nematode than the red-brown earths. Differences in soil structure provide the best explanation for this distribution pattern in Victoria and other areas of the Australian wheat belt. A pH between 6 and 8 had no effect on larval activity, so soil reaction is not considered to be a factor limiting the distribution of H. avenue.