First report of Bursaphelenchus fungivorus (Nematoda: Aphelenchida) in Italy and an overview of nematodes associated with Crocus sativus L.
Abstract
Saffron is one of the most precious spices in the world. It is derived from the dried stigmas of the Crocus sativus L. flowers. This plant is triploid sterile and propagated by corms. As a subterranean organ, the corm can come into contact with different nematodes. In this contribution Bursaphelenchus fungivorus was reported for the first time in Italy. It was found associated with C. sativus corms and characterized based on morphological and morphometrical characteristics for this species. The identification was confirmed using molecular analyses. Moreover, a review of nematodes associated with C. sativus worldwide is also provided.
© 2020 Giulia Torrini, Agostino Strangi, Stefania Simoncini, Maria Luppino, Pio Federico Roversi, Leonardo Marianelli, published by Society of Nematologists, Inc.
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.