First Report of Heterodera schachtii (Schmidt, 1879) on Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz in Poland and Assessment of Its Host Suitability for This Nematode

Heterodera schachtii, a nematode primarily feeding on sugar beet and cruciferous plants, e.g., rapeseed, cabbage, broccoli, mustard, and radish, had a significant impact on Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz. The isolation of H. schachtii cysts from C. sativa roots and a known data gap regarding their development on this plant prompted an investigation into their interaction. A pot experiment conducted under controlled conditions in a growth chamber showed that H. schachtii completes its full development cycle in the roots of spring (UP, Smielowska, Borowska, Omega) and winter (Lemka, Maczuga, Luna, Przybrodzka) camelina cultivars at temperatures of 15, 20, and 25 °C. Female nematodes and cysts were most abundant in the Omega cultivar at 20 °C, averaging 9.25 per plant. Nematode feeding did not affect the height or fresh weight of the plants. Plants of the Przybrodzka cultivar had fewer leaves than the control plants. More siliques were observed on the control plants of the UP cultivar kept at 15 °C and those of the UP and Borowska cultivars at 20 °C. Under natural conditions, the number of eggs and larvae in the soil decreased by approximately 50% during the camelina growth cycle for both spring and winter biotypes.