Morphometric and genetic variability among Mediterranean cereal cyst nematode (Heterodera latipons) populations in Turkey

The Mediterranean cereal cyst nematode, Heterodera latipons, is an important plant parasitic nematode that negatively impacts cereal production worldwide, particularly in the Mediterranean Basin. Successful control of cereal cyst nematodes requires knowledge of the nematode species/pathotypes and their biology. However, little information is currently available concerning the phenotypic and genotypic variability of H. latipons populations in Turkey. This study analyzed the morphological/morphometric and genetic characteristics of Turkish H. latipons populations to define intraspecific distinctions between them. Morphological and morphometric studies focused on the pattern of the perineal region of cysts and second stage juveniles (J2), while the molecular analyses used sequenced ITS-rDNA regions targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of rDNA. The data from these investigations demonstrate that nematode populations from Adana and Hatay provinces differ from the populations collected in Kills, Gaziantep, and Mardin provinces. These phenotypic and genotypic differences between H. latipons populations may indicate that they are heterogenic, with at least two pathotypes. To date, this study is the most comprehensive analysis identifying H. latipons populations in major wheat-producing areas of Turkey.