Dual Culture: Nematodes

This chapter deals with the dual culture of nematodes that feed on plant tissue as obligate parasites causing damage to the plant. Axenic culture of free-living, insect-parasitic, and animal-parasitic nematodes in chemically defined or nondefined media has been achieved with some success. In culturing nematodes, several terms, proposed by E. C. Dougherty, for various types of cultures are in general use. Dual cultures of nematodes and plant tissue are aimed to establish plant-parasitic nematodes in sterile cultures. Since phytophagous nematodes are obligate parasites, they need a plant tissue as a food source from which they can obtain the nutrients necessary for their development and reproduction. Studies using root explants are, however, limited, maybe due to the small growth potential of root explants and to the culture media used. The entire root surface of these cultures is very large, since many lateral roots are formed. Once established, transformed root cultures are easily maintained by transferring young root tips to fresh medium.