Attraction and preference of bacteriophagous and plant-parasitic nematodes towards different types of soil bacteria

Abstract

The soil food web exhibits complex interactions between organisms including those between soil nematodes and bacteria. In the present study, 26 bacterial genera were obtained from the intestines of 11 species of bacteriophagous and predatory nematodes. A minimum number of two bacterial genera, namely Escherichia (species coli) and Staphylococcus, were isolated from Dorylaimoides micoletzkyi whereas a maximum number of nine bacterial genera were obtained from Butlerius butleri. Burkholderia was the most attractive bacterial strain for Meloidogyne incognita with the maximum number of nematode aggregations. Caenorhabditis elegans aggregated around Proteus colonies in greater numbers than any other colony whereas the maximum aggregation of Acrobeloides maximus was recorded around Pseudomonas. Three common bacterial strains were found to attract both M. incognita and A. maximus, five bacterial strains elicited response both from A. maximus and C. elegans whereas three common strains were found attractive to M. incognita and C. elegans.

Keywords:

• attraction
• bacteriophagous nematodes
• feeding preference
• plant-parasitic nematodes
• soil bacteria

Acknowledgements

The first author is grateful to the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MEF), New Delhi for financial assistance to carry out this work. Rothamsted Research receives strategic funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC).