Interaction of Meloidogyne naasi, Pratylenchus penetrans, and Tylenchorhynchus agri on Creeping Beentgrass.

The pathogenicity and interactions of Meloidogyne naasi, Pratylenchus penetrans, and Tylenchorhynchus agri on 'Toronto C-15' creeping bentgrass, Agrostis palustris, was studied in a long-term greenhouse experiment. Based on dry weights of roots and clippings, M. naasi alone and in all combinations with P. penetrans and T. agri was highly pathogenic to creeping bentgrass. P. penetrans and T. agri alone and in combination inhibited root growth but adversely affected top growth only when the two were co-inoculated. In combination, the effects of each species on top growth were additive, with M. naasi the dominant pathogen. Creeping bentgrass was an excellent host for M. naasi and T. agri, but a poor host for P. penetrans. T. agri inhibited population increase of M. naasi, indicating nematode-nematode competition, but neither T. agr/ nor P. penetrans was affected by any of the combinations.