First Report of the Root Lesion Nematode, Pratylenchus hippeastri , on Apple in South Africa

Root lesion nematodes ( Pratylenchus spp.) are the most common plant-parasitic nematodes present in apple orchards in South Africa. During a survey conducted in 2017 and 2018 in the main apple production regions in South Africa, P. hippeastri was detected in 85% of samples that contained root lesion nematodes. Morphological and morphometric characters as well as DNA sequencing of the D2–D3 expansion segments of 28S rRNA confirmed the identity of the nematodes extracted from apple roots. Apple rootstocks supported reproduction of these nematodes with an average reproduction factor of 14, measured 90 days after inoculation. This study confirms the host status of apple ( Malus domestica Borkh.) for P. hippeastri and is the first record of P. hippeastri in South Africa.