Abstract
IN early March 1955, a freshly opened clamp of King Edward potatoes was inspected at Little Downham, Isle of Ely. It was observed that cysts of potato root eelworm (Heterodera rostochiensis) had already formed on the roots of many tubers which had sprouted and grown in the clamp. The cysts were in various stages of development. Some were white and others had turned yellow and contained fully embryonated eggs. It was estimated that there were more than a hundred cysts on some root systems. The wet autumn of 1954 had made lifting conditions very difficult and much damp soil had been clamped with the potatoes. Under these conditions root growth had been induced, and it is certain that the larvæ must have invaded the roots within the clamp and completed their development during the winter.
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LEGOWSKI, T., BROWN, E. Reproduction of Potato Root Eelworm during the Winter in a Potato Clamp. Nature 177, 287 (1956). https://doi.org/10.1038/177287c0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/177287c0
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