First molecular identification of wheat seed gall nematode Anguina tritici races parasitized on wheat in Iraq

Abstract

This study was conducted to identify races of wheat seed gall nematode Anguina tritici by using molecular identification for this nematode species parasitized on durum and bread wheat cultivars. Wheat seed galls of both cultivars were collected from two cities, Erbil and Duhok, from the Kurdistan Region and Iraq respectively. DNA was extracted from both nematode isolates (populations), and then PCR reactions were performed with Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region using primers TW81/AB28 with 2 µl of template DNA of A. tritici for both nematode isolates on both wheat cultivars. The bands of both amplification products of PCR reactions were visualized in position about 800 bp on agarose gel, which indicates that both isolates of A. tritici belong to the same race. On the other hand, no nucleotide differences were observed between the two nematode isolations, as revealed by the sequence alignment of DNA of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and phylogenetic tree, which emphasizes at the same time that both nematode isolates are of the same genetic structure or have the same identity and confirms their belonging to the same nematode race.

Molecular Phylogenetic Characterization of Anguina tritici (Steinbuch, 1799) Filipjev, 1936 (Rhabditida: Anguinidae) on Barley from Iraq

“…The harvested seeds were also infected with the nematode, appearing darker, spotted on the surface, and smaller in size. Ami et al (2019) already described the presence of three biotypes of A. tritici in three legume plants with high infection rates: (i) durum wheat biotype, (ii) the bread wheat biotype, and (iii) barley biotype. In the current study, nematodes collected from infected seeds were molecularly identified in order to investigate the affinities of the recovered tentative barley biotype.…”

“…In Iraq, it has already reported from wheat-growing areas ( Rao, 1921 ; ­Al-Bedawi et al, 1977; Ami and Taher, 2013 ; Ami et al, 2019 ), and its infection was estimated around 22.9%, causing 30% crop losses ( Al-Beldawi et al, 1977 ; Stephan and Antoon, 1990 ). In the last decades, the wheat seed nematode was also found in Iraq, infecting barley with an infection rate up to 90%, suggesting the occurrence of a tentative new biotype of the nematode ( Al-Talib et al, 1986 ; Mustafa, 2009 ; Ami et al, 2019 ; Qassem et al, 2021 ). The present study aims to characterize the recently recovered population of A. tritici from barley fields in Iraq by sequencing the ribosomal ITS and the partial 18S rRNA genes.…”

“…But its occurrence is still reported from North Africa, India, Iran, Turkey, Iraq, Bulgaria, and very recently, has known as a re-emergence pest in Pakistan (Bonjar et al, 2004;Nicol and Rivoal, 2008;Kausar and Khan, 2009;Mohamedova and Piperkova, 2013;Mukhtar et al, 2018). In Iraq, it has already reported from wheat-growing areas (Rao, 1921;Al-Bedawi et al, 1977;Ami and Taher, 2013;Ami et al, 2019), and its infection was estimated around 22.9%, causing 30% crop losses (Al-Beldawi et al, 1977;Stephan and Antoon, 1990). In the last decades, the wheat seed nematode was also found in Iraq, infecting barley with an infection rate up to 90%, suggesting the occurrence of a tentative new biotype of the nematode (Al-Talib et al, 1986;Mustafa, 2009;Ami et al, 2019;Qassem et al, 2021).…”

Field treatment of three wheat varieties with Trichoderma harzianum bioagent to control Anguina tritici

“…that they could be two variants when N-J phylogenetic tree separated them into two clades within A. tritici branch [Figure 3]. Thus, SSU could be useful molecular loci for identification, differentiation, and phylogeny reconstruction of A. tritici in Iraq [8,21].…”

“…It has been described for the 1 st time by Needham since 1743 [1]. Seed gall disease has been reported in Iraq for the 1 st time since 1921 [7] but the causal agent A. tritici was recently confirmed by molecular approach [8]. This disease can cause yield losses ranged 10.76-75% in wheat [9,10].…”