Sugar-beet cyst nematode Heterodera schachtii a prevalent pest in winter rapeseed

Rapeseed (Brassica napus) is an annual plant grown mainly for oil in seeds or sometimes for forage. An increasing interest to alternative energy resources is observed during the last decade, which results in expanding of the market for rapeseed oil and dramatic increase of the growing area worldwide. Despite of that sugar-beet area declined, the latter still remains the one of commercial crops. Whereas both rapeseed and sugar-beet are very good host plants for sugar-beet cyst nematode {Heterodera schachtii), there is a threat of severe enlargement of the pathogen. High population densities of the nematode also might be decreased by growing resistant cultivars. The objectives of this research are to assess the resistance/susceptibility of winter rapeseed cultivars to sugar-beet cyst nematode under in vitro conditions. Six new cultivars of winter rapeseed (Standing, Beluga, Hydromel, Betty, Belcanto, Bambin) were selected and tested. Resistance/ susceptibility evaluation was performed by assessing the number of new generation females/cysts found on the root system, cyst content and reproductive rate were calculated. All six tested winter rapeseed hybrid cultivars in the in vitro experiments were susceptible to H.schachtii as evaluated by cyst number per plant root system. The highest cyst content was defined in Bambin and Beluga cultivars and the lowest in Belcanto. The highest reproductive rate was observed in Bambin and the lowest in BettyVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij