20.500.12556/RUL-172673 Chemotactic responses of slug-parasitic nematodes to barley root-emitted volatile organic compounds Parasitic nematodes play a vital role in soil ecosystems, contributing to natural pest suppression. Among them, slug-parasitic species such as Phasmarhabditis papillosa (Schneider) Andrassy, Oscheius myriophilus (Poinar), and Oscheius onirici Torrini et al. are promising biological control agents against mollusk pests. These nematodes rely on plantemitted volatile organic compounds (VOCs) for host location, yet their chemotactic responses to specific VOCs remain unclear. This study assessed the responses of P. papillosa, O. myriophilus, and O. onirici to VOCs emitted by potato (S. tuberosum) tubers under varying temperature (18 °C, 22 °C) and concentration conditions (pure compound, 0.03 ppm). The results indicate that octanal was the strongest attractant, particularly for O. myriophilus, while nonanal exhibited species-dependent effects. Hydrocarbons such as undecane and 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene had minimal or repellent effects, whereas 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one showed moderate attraction. Chemotactic responses were stronger at 18 °C, and attraction increased with higher VOC concentrations, suggesting a threshold-dependent response. These findings enhance our understanding of plantnematode interactions and suggest that octanal and 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one could improve nematode-based slug control strategies. However, environmental factors such as soil composition and microbial activity may influence VOC diffusion and nematode recruitment. Future research should focus on optimizing VOC formulations, assessing field applicability, and integrating these findings into sustainable pest management programs. slug-parasitic nematodes Phasmarhabditis papillosa Oscheius myriophilus Oscheius onirici volatile organic compounds VOCs chemotaxis barley roots biocontrol temperature effects plant–nematode interactions belowground ecology biotično varstvo rastlin koristni organizmi parazitske ogorčice nematode hlapne organske spojine kemotaksija biološki nadzor polži true false true Angleški jezik Slovenski jezik Članek v reviji 2025-09-10 14:23:54 2025-09-10 14:24:01 2025-09-11 04:36:02 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2025 0 0 13 str. iss. 9, art. 2162 Vol. 15 2025 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 632 2073-4395 10.3390/agronomy15092162 248442883 Chemotactic_Responses_of_Slug-Parasitic_Nematodes_to_Barley_Root-Emitted_Volatile_Organic_Compounds.pdf Chemotactic_Responses_of_Slug-Parasitic_Nematodes_to_Barley_Root-Emitted_Volatile_Organic_Compounds.pdf 1 AC36BB13297D2B5010659F6940EF2399 a5df930f67b9a8e7a764d00ff90d0d11db8b781f61169383007cfc18c69164e6 4efcdba5-8e41-11f0-9328-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=216675 https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/9/2162 1 df81d853-8e40-11f0-9328-0050569b8976 https://repozitorij.uni-lj.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=216674 Biotehniška fakulteta 0 0 0