title: Interactions between the oomycete Pythium arrhenomanes and the rice root-knot nematode Meloidogyne graminicola in aerobic Asian rice varieties.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Aerobic rice fields are frequently infested by pathogenic oomycetes (Pythium spp.) and the rice root-knot nematode Meloidogyne graminicola. Here, the interaction between Pythium arrhenomanes and Meloidogyne graminicola was studied in rice roots of two aerobic rice varieties. In different experimental set-ups and infection regimes, plant growth, rice yield, Pythium colonization, as well as establishment, development and reproduction of M. graminicola were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this study, it is shown that the presence of P. arrhenomanes delays the establishment, development and reproduction of M. graminicola compared to single nematode infected plants. The delay in establishment and development of M. graminicola becomes stronger with higher P. arrhenomanes infection pressure.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data indicate that P. arrhenomanes antagonizes M. graminicola in the rice root and that the plant benefits from this antagonism as shown by the yield data, especially when either of the pathogens is present in high levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium.|Laboratory of Phytopathology, Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: R E M
authors.initials: REM
authors.lastname: Verbeek
authors.affiliation: International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines.|Current address: Institute of Biological Sciences, University of the Philippines, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines.
authors.forename: C G B
authors.initials: CGB
authors.lastname: Banaay
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium.|Current address: Laboratory of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Department of Botany, Jahangirnagar University, Savar, Dhaka, 1342, Bangladesh.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sikder
authors.affiliation: Department of Biosystems, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, University of Leuven (KU Leuven), B-3001, Heverlee, Belgium.|Unit for Environmental Sciences and Management, North-West University, 2520, Potchefstroom, South Africa.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: De Waele
authors.affiliation: International Rice Research Institute, Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines.
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Vera Cruz
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gheysen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Phytopathology, Department of Crop Protection, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Höfte
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biotechnology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, B-9000, Ghent, Belgium. tina.kyndt@ugent.be.
authors.forename: Tina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kyndt
keywords: Aerobic rice; Antagonism; Nematode development