DISPERSAL OF DITYLENCHUS-DIPSACI WITH VEGETABLE SEEDS

Ditylenchus dipsaci was found in 36–45% of seed stocks of broad beans, red beet and carrots examined, in 14–17% of those of shallots and runner beans, and in less than 3% of those of peas, onions and leeks. None was found in any samples of chive and dwarf (French) bean seed. There was a tendency for seed stocks to be very lightly or very heavily infested so that small samples would be adequate to identify the stocks most likely to introduce stem eelworm. Seed from all sources whether merchant or farmer was equally likely to be infested and a difference in infestation between varieties was found only for broad bean. Judging by samples tested for export the risk of distributing D. dipsaci with onion seed seems to have decreased since 1968 so that there is more risk of introducing it with other crops grown before onions. Copyright © 1979, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved