REACTIONS OF SOME SPINACH, SWISS CHARD, AND TABLE BEET CULTIVARS TO THE CYST NEMATODES HETERODERA SCHACHTII AND H. TRIFOLII

The reactions of five spinach, four table beet, and two Swiss chard cultivars to infection with the cyst nematodes Heterodera schachtii and H. trifolii were studied under greenhouse condition. The results showed that the cultivars of spinach (‘Balady’, ‘Barkly’, ‘Orient’, ‘Solanicy’, ‘Pacific’), table beet (‘Balady’, ‘Detroit Dark Red’, ‘Detroit Spainal’, ‘Asgro Wonder’) and Swiss chard (‘Balady’, ‘Ford Hook’) tested were susceptible or highly susceptible to H. schachtii while spinach’Pacific’ was moderately susceptible to this nematode. Reactions of the tested spinach, table beet and Swiss chard cultivars to H. trifolii indicated that only spinach ‘Balady’, table beet ‘Balady’ and ‘Detroit Dark Red’, and Swiss chard ’Balady’ were susceptible whereas the other tested cultivars showed moderately susceptible and moderately resistant reactions to this nematode. Nematode infection with either H. schachtii or H. trifolii caused significant reductions in the shoot and root dry weights of the susceptible and highly susceptible spinach, table beet, and Swiss chard cultivars. This is the first study in Egypt on the pathogenicity of the cyst nematodes H. schachtii and H. trifolii on spinach, Swiss chard, and table beet.