Distribution, Ecological Factors, Molecular Diversity, and Specific PCR for Major Species of Pin Nematodes ( spp.) in Plantations in Spain.

This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence and distribution of species in the main areas of spp. production in Spain, their ecological constraints, and new molecular tools for the specific identification of major species. Pin nematodes are recognized as plant-parasitic nematodes with a wide host range and global distribution. Therefore, understanding the environmental and agronomic factors involved in their distribution is critical to design environmental and sustainable management strategies to reduce plant damage. A total of 219 sampling sites were surveyed and 12 species were identified based on an integrative taxonomic approach (. , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , . , and . ). The most common pin nematode was . , followed by . . Nematode abundance was influenced by climatic characteristics, soil chemical properties, and agronomic management practices. Nine explanatory variables were selected as the most strongly associated with distribution. Specifically, . was significantly correlated with soil chemical characteristics, such as pH and carbon, sulfur, and sodium content, whereas . was closely related to fields with <10 years of almond cultivation. Species-specific PCRs were developed for . and . and their validity was evaluated studying the molecular variability of these species and against other species.