The effect of temperature on hatching and penetration of chickpea roots by Pratylenchus thornei

Egg hatch of Pratylenchus thornei was influenced by temperature. It took place at all temperatures within the range 10–258C and was optimal at 208C. Root penetration increased steadily with increasing time of incubation up to the end of the experiment 11 days after inoculation. Temperature affected penetration rate in chickpea (Cicer arietinum) cultivars UC 27 and JG 62 but not in line P 2245, being significantly higher at 20– 258C than that at 158C. At the end of the experiment, roots of line P2245 held at 158C contained more P. thornei than cultivars UC 27 and JG 62. No difference in percentage penetration among host genotypes was observed at 20 or 258C. All migratory stages of P. thornei penetrated roots of chickpea from the first to 11th days after inoculation.