Chickpea

This pest is is not known to be a vector and it is not vectored by any organism.

Laboratory methods that are acceptable for cyst extraction include sugar centrifugation, USDA cyst extractor, Fenwick can sieving, wet sieving, and elutriation.

Mature females and cysts are just visible to the naked eye and can be seen as minute, white, lemon-shaped bodies on the root surface.

Poor growth and extensive yellowing.

Morphological: Characteristics of second-stage juveniles, males, females, and cysts.

Heterodera ciceri resembles H. trifolii in general morphology, but differs in host range, the presence of males, by the fenestral measurements, and characteristics of the second-stage juvenile.

Molecular: Clapp et al. (2000) developed a technique for rapid identification of Heterodera spp. based on ITS2 sequence variation detected by PCR single-strand conformational polymorphism (PCR-SSCP). Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis has been developed for distinguishing between nematodes in the genus Heterodera (Subbotin et al., 2000; Sabo et al., 2001; Madani et al., 2004). The analysis is conducted on ribosomal DNA in the internal transcribed spacer region with multiple restriction enzymes. Heterodera ciceri has specific RFLP profiles for numerous restrictions enzymes that are described and compared to other species in the Heterodera genus (Subbotin et al., 2010). Imren et al. (2012) characterized 46 populations of H. ciceri using ITS sequencing.

This root feeder cyst forming nematode is distributed mainly in the Middle East (Syria), where it causes serious damage to chick pea. It occurs in Turkey as well. The nematode reproduces well on garden pea and lentil. It can be introduced with seeds, plant material, or soil debris contaminated with cysts.