Improving control strategies against the sugar beet cyst nematode (Heterodera schachtii Schmidt 1871), in sugar beet

This reserch was conducted between 2021 and 2023 in two sugar beet cultivation locations in Bor, Niğde, areas infested with Heterodera schachtii, and at Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University in both in vivo and in vitro settings. During the field trials, the collected cysts were identified using morphological and molecular methods and the infection rate in the fields was determined to be an average of 45 cysts per 250 grams of soil. The trials tested control, fluopyram soil surface, and in-furrow applications. The study aimed to study the effects of these applications on nematode populations and yield, focusing on reducing chemical use and promoting sustainable agriculture. The results showed no statistical differences in yield or nematode numbers among the applications. In the laboratory, a Bacillus thuringiensis strain carrying the Cry6Aa2, Cry55Aa1, and cry5B genes was tested as a biological control agent and its positive impact on plant growth and nematode population suppression was found to be significant. The findings suggest that in-furrow application should become a routine practice for nematode control, and that B. thuringiensis holds potential as a biological control agent.