Cause Globodera pallida (pale cyst nematode or white cyst nematode) was confirmed during 2006 in Idaho and Golden potato cyst nematode (G. rostochiensis) was found in British Columbia during 1965. A different species (Globodera ellingtonae) was detected on the OSU Powell Butte experiment station, where it has been contained; it has not been found elsewhere in Oregon. Quarantine of areas affected was enacted. Fields were removed from quarantine after growers completed a release protocol comprised of a sequence of surveys with negative laboratory results. Maps on the quarantined areas for pale cycst nematode can be found at https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant-pests-diseases/pcn/regulated-field-11-2.... Host range is limited; potato, tomato, eggplant, and weedy species of Solanum. If left uncontrolled, these nematodes can cause tremendous loss in tuber yield. Cysts, consisting of the bodies of dead females, contain from 200 to 600 eggs and may survive 20 years or more in soil.
Symptoms Stunted and unthrifty plants often occurring in patches. Look for the presence of white or golden, pin-sized cysts on potato roots, when plants are close to flowering, as a sign of infection.
Cultural control
- Equipment sanitation.
- Practice a crop rotation of 7 to 10 years without potatoes or related crops.
- Plant resistant potato varieties.
Biological control
- MeloCon WG for nematode suppression. See label for specific application types and timings. 4-hr reentry. O
Reference Rott, M., Lawrence, T., Belton, M., Sun, F., and Kyle, D. 2010. Occurrence and detection of Globodera rostochiensis on Vancouver Island, British Columbia: An update. Plant Disease 94:1367-1371.