Underground Hunt for Soil Pests Stunted areas from root-knot nematode
Identifying Nematode Population Locations Through Multi-State, Multi-Year Data Collection
Challenged with identifying areas of the United States facing destructive nematode threats, AgriThorityÂŽ implemented a multi-state, multi-year soil and root sample program to document geographic locations of the invasive and costly pests. Despite the minute size of these nonsegmented worms that typically measure only 1/500 of an inch in diameter and 1/20 of an inch in length, nematodes can cause economically significant damage to crops. Yield losses result from nematodes piercing and infecting the roots of the plant, stealing nutrients and water, and opening the door for bacterial and fungal infections. Dark areas in stain are nematode egg masses.
Through thousands of samples over a three-year period, analysis showed nematodes to be a significant risk for the majority of row crop growers. Soil and root samples were collected to detect both species and populations of nematodes in corn, soybean and cotton fields and identify areas with the highest need for control.
*Photos courtesy of Dr. Charles Overstreet, Professor Emeritus, Louisiana State University
About the Author RICHARD SHAW, AgriThority Product Development Manager, led the nematode sampling program from planning through implementation and analysis. He is a veteran leader in pest surveys with proficiency in nematode identification, management and control. An entomologist by training, Shaw has more than 40 years of experience in varied global market segments of the agricultural chemicals industry while at Bayer CropScience, Aventis CropScience, RhonePoulenc and Union Carbide. He has managed technical support across broad-acre crops, vegetables, trees and vines, and specialty crops, including sugar cane and rice.