In 2013 and 2014, the effects of different products and plant extracts in the control of Aphelenchoides ritzemabosi (Schwartz, 1911) Steiner and Buhrer, 1932 on Anemone hupehensis plants variety Prinz Heinrich were estimated. Experiments were carried out under containerized cultivation. Evaluation of the effectiveness of nematicides was conducted using two common methods based on the number of nematodes per leaf and the percentage of damaged leaves. In both experiments oxamyl and abamectin, with aqueous extract of Allium sativum, were the most effective (efficacy about 40%). The aqueous bulb extracts of A. sativum, solution of extracts of Quillaja saponaria and solution of spirotetramat in combination with aqueous extract of A. sativum were ineffective. In both experimental years, the significant correlation between the number of nematodes in leaves and the sampling date was recorded. Based on Spearman rank correlation test and regression, it was shown that counting of nematodes in leaves is still the most reliable method for diagnosis of the damage caused by foliar nematodes.

The list of species of the plant parasitic nematodes presented in this paper (133 species belonging to 14 families) is based on the results of faunistic research conducted in the Wielkopolska region by Polish nematologists up until the year 2010, and the results obtained from the project “Elaboration of Innovative Methods for Rapid Identification of Nematodes Causing Damage to the Economy” managed by the Museum and Institute of Zoology of the Polish Academy of Sciences. During the two years of the project (2010-2011) we found 21 species of nematodes which had not yet been reported in the list of species from the Wielkopolska region. Two of them were reported for the first time in Poland.

The largest faunistic similarity of nematodes was found in soils sampled in coniferous nurseries where arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis -Cupressaceae), spruces (Picea spp. -Pinaceae) and pines (Pinus spp. -Pinaceae) were grown. In soil sampled from deciduous tree and shrub nurseries, similar species composition of parasitic nematodes was found in stands of oaks (Quercus spp. -Fagaceae), black locusts (Robinia pseudoacacia -Fabaceae) and maples (Acer spp. -Sapindaceae). In soils, especially the light and medium, from stands of coniferous and deciduous trees and shrubs, Aphelenchus avenae was often isolated. Bitylenchus dubius occurred in both types of nurseries, particularly in light soils. The largest faunistic similarities between nematodes isolated from places of growth of coniferous and deciduous plants were recorded in soils of loamy sand and sandy loam. The most abundant nematode species and the greatest similarity in species of plant parasitic nematodes were observed in soils with neutral pH or slightly acidic. Aphelenchus avenae was found in soil samples collected from both coniferous and deciduous plants, with no relation to soil acidity.

Identification of nematode species by using conventional methods requires fixation of the isolated material and a suitable preparation for further analyses. Tentative identification using microscopic methods should also be performed prior to initiating molecular studies. In the literature, various methods are described for the preparation of nematodes from the genus Aphelenchoides for identification and microscopic studies. The most commonly used fixatives are formalin (Timm 1969; Szczygieł & Cid del Prado Vera 1981, Crozzoli et al. 2008, Khan et al. 2008), FAA (Wasilewska 1969; Vovlas et al. 2005, Khan et al. 2007) and TAF (Hooper 1958, Chizhov et al. 2006, Jagdale & Grewal 2006).

SummaryAphelenchoides fragariae (Ritzema Bos, 1890) Christie, 1932 was isolated from leaves of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) seedlings proving that the source of infection was anemones plants. This is the fi rst report to our best knowledge showing that the source of nematode infection of a woody plant could be a perennial plant. A. fragariae was identifi ed by morphometric and molecular analyses. Morphological diagnosis based on the bending shape of the tail of males and pronounced apex and rostrum proved to be the most accurate reliable characteristic. On the opposite, the high variability of the mucron shape in female tails made the identifi cation by microscopic analyses diffi cult. Identifi cation of the species was confi rmed by analysis of 28S rDNA sequences. The morphometric data of adults extracted from silver birch was compared with that of nematodes isolated from Anemone hupehensis (Lemoine) Lemoine. Males body length varied highly in samples collected from both host plant species.

Soil samples were collected from 10 plantations of tulip. The most often found plant-parasitic nematode was Pratylenchus neglectus, of which 80 species were found. But P. neglectus was usually not over 10% of the individuals in the samples.Among ectoparasitic nematodes, the most often found was Bitylenchus dubius. The occurrence of Bitylenchus dubius was not dependent on the acidity of the soil. Facultative parasites were the most numerous group, especially Filenchus vulgaris and Basiria graminophila.The plant-parasitic nematode populations which occurred on plantations of tulip did not cause severe damage.

The induction of natural defense mechanisms in plants is considered to be one of the most important strategies used in integrated pest management (IPM). Plant immune inducers could reduce the use of chemicals for plant protection and their harmful impacts on the environment. Planticine® is a natural plant defense biostimulant based on oligomers of α(1→4)-linked D-galacturonic acids, which are biodegradable and nontoxic. The aim of this study was to define the molecular basis of Planticine’s biological activity and the efficacy of its use as a natural plant resistance inducer in greenhouse conditions. Three independent experiments with foliar application of Planticine® were carried out. The first experiment in a climatic chamber (control environment, no pest pressure) subjected the leaves to RNA-seq analysis, and the second and third experiments in greenhouse conditions focused on efficacy after a pest infestation. The result was the RNA sequencing of six transcriptome libraries of tomatoes treated with Planticine® and untreated plants; a total of 3089 genes were found to be differentially expressed genes (DEGs); among them, 1760 and 1329 were up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively. DEG analysis indicated its involvement in such metabolic pathways and processes as plant-pathogen interaction, plant hormone signal transduction, MAPK signaling pathway, photosynthesis, and regulation of transcription. We detected up-regulated gene-encoded elicitor and effector recognition receptors (ELRR and ERR), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPKs) genes, and transcription factors (TFs), i.e., WRKY, ERF, MYB, NAC, bZIP, pathogenesis-related proteins (PRPs), and resistance-related metabolite (RRMs) genes. In the greenhouse trials, foliar application of Planticine® proved to be effective in reducing the infestation of tomato leaves by the biotrophic pathogen powdery mildew and in reducing feeding by thrips, which are insect herbivores. Prophylactic and intervention use of Planticine® at low infestation levels allows the activation of plant defense mechanisms.

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