OCCURRENCE OF XIPHINEMA INDEX IN LEBANESE VINEYARDS

J. Jawhar, N. Vovlas, M. Digiaro
doi: 10.4454/jpp.v88i1.840
Abstract:
Soil samples were collected in late spring 2005 from vineyards in 25 different locations of the Bekaa valley, the main grapevine-growing area of Lebanon, to investigate the presence of the longidorid nematode Xiphinema index Thorne & Allen, the vector of Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV). Approximately 14% of the samples contained the nematode, which was found in all developmental stages except for males, which are very rare in this species. The density of the nematode population ranged from 8 to 45 specimens/500 ml of soil. The main morphological characteristics of taxonomic relevance in the Lebanese population of X. index are described, while selected morphometric parameters from a population of 18 specimens were compared with those reported in the literature. This is the first survey for the presence and distribution of X. index in Lebanon.
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