Cereal cyst nematode

Abstract

Cereal cyst nematode (Heterodera avenae Wollenweber) is a widely distributed pest of cereal crops, occurring in Britain, Ireland, various other northern European countries, Israel, India, Australia and N. America. In Britain it is more damaging to oats than to other cereals and is prevalent mainly on light-textured soils. For many years crop losses occurred chiefly on sandy soils in the West Midland counties and adjoining areas of Wales. After the Second World War damage became more widespread, especially on the thin chalk soils of Wiltshire and Hampshire, following wartime ploughing of large areas of downland. With the subse­quent decline in the growing of oats, this pest became less important. However, it still reduces yields of barley and wheat, espe­cially on light and inherently lower yielding soils; it is seldom important on heavy-textured soils.