Yield response of cereal cultivars and changes in population densities of the root-lesion nematode Pratylenchus thornei, in the subtropical northern, and temperate southern grain-producing regions of Australia

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This dataset reports the the yield response of cereal cultivars to Pratylenchus thornei, in eight field experiments which were conducted within the subtropical northern (4 trials), and temperate southern grain-producing regions of Australia (4 trials). Wheat cultivars ranging from susceptible to moderately resistant to P. thornei were grown in Year 1 to establish a range of population densities. In Year 2, before sowing, P. thornei was quantified in each plot and six cereal cultivars were each grown on a similar range of population densities; P. thornei was quantified again at harvest; grain data was obtained in 7 trials. Soilborne pathogens and nematodes were detected and quantified in 300–500 g soil sample (fresh weight) using the quantitative PCR-based PREDICTA B testing service on soil collected at 0-30 cm soil depth. At each site before starting the experiment, P. thornei was the major plant-parasitic nematode present. All sites were rain-fed and managed following local agronomic practices, such as minimum tillage, herbicides to control weeds, and fertilizer application. The soil type in the experiments at Formartin, Banyena, and Goroke is a black vertosol and at Westmar a grey vertosol. In Year 1, four cereal cultivars ranging from susceptible-very susceptible (SVS) to resistant-moderately resistant (RMR) to P. thornei were grown in four replicates in order to establish a range of 16 nematode population densities ranging from very low to high. P. thornei population densities (at 0-30 cm soil depth) were measured approximately 2 months before sowing (April and May in Queensland, March in Victoria) in Year 2, and immediately after harvest of the plots (November and December in Queensland, January and February in Victoria). Data was reported in DAV00128 and funding was obtained via a subcontract from DAW00245.