EPPO Global Database

EPPO Reporting Service no. 06 - 2009 Num. article: 2009/112

Ditylenchus destructor does not occur in New Jersey (US)


For many years, it has been considered that Ditylenchus destructor (EU Annexes) was present in New Jersey (US), on the basis of a publication from Thorne (1945) and a single interception made by Canada in 1969 on iris bulbs imported from New Jersey (Sewell, 1970). The later cannot be taken as a solid basis for establishing the presence of D. destructor in New Jersey and when looking more closely at the paper from Thorne, its occurrence in New Jersey was only an assumption which has never been confirmed since: ‘A population of Ditylenchus dipsaci attacking sweet potatoes in Maryland and New Jersey, and causing injury very similar to that of D. destructor was studied by Kreis (1937). It is believed by the writer that this probably was D. destructor but, unfortunately, it has not been possible to secure specimens for comparative studies.’
In more recent years, it can be noted that D. destructor has never been detected during routine diagnostics or soil surveys in New Jersey. Official surveys carried out from 2001 to 2004 did not detect the nematode and there are no records of its presence in New Jersey in any US nematode collections. Therefore, it is now considered that D. destructor does not occur in New Jersey.
The situation of Ditylenchus destructor in New Jersey can be described as follows: Absent, all previous records arose from confusion with other Ditylenchus species or were erroneous, confirmed by general surveillance.

Sources

Sewell R (1970) Plant-parasitic nematodes from Canada and abroad, 1969. Canadian Plant Disease Survey, September 1970 50(3), 102-103. http://www.cps-scp.ca/download/cpds-archive/vol50/CPDS_Vol_50_No_3_4_(102-103)1970.pdf
Thorne G (1945) Ditylenchus destructor, n.sp., the potato rot nematode, and Ditylenchus dipsaci (Kühn, 1857) Filipjev, 1936, the teasel nematode (Nematoda: Tylenchidae). Proceedings of the Helminthological Society of Washington 12(2), 27-34.