Archivio Journal of Plant Pathology

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.