Diversity and population distribution of nematodes associated with honeybush (Cyclopia spp.) and rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) in the Western Cape province of South Africa

Nematodes are important soil organisms that constitute a key component of the soil ecosystem. A plant-parasitic survey was conducted to identify the diversity of nematodes associated with two endemic tea plants, honeybush (Cyclopia spp.) and rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) in the Western Cape province of South Africa. A total of 20 farmlands were surveyed and soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere of plants, for nematode isolation and identification based on morphological characters. Confirmation of the species of plant-parasitic nematodes was done using molecular-based tools. Nematodes were classified into various feeding groups based on their colonizer-persister (c-p) values. Plant-feeding nematodes identified from the honeybush tea plants include; Criconema mutabile, Meloidogyne hapla, M. javanica, and Xiphinema oxycaudatum, while Hoplolaimus sp., Neodolichorhynchus estherae and Pratylechus bolivianus were pathogenic on the rooibos monocultures. Bacterial and fungal feeders (Cephalobidae and Rhabditidae) were also abundant and frequently encountered in all samples. The study provides information on the diversity of nematodes associated with the indigenous herbal tea plants of South Africa.