Agronomy Journal (2004) 96, 1419-1428

Robert J. Kratochvil, Sandra Sardanelli, Kathryne Everts and Elizabeth Gallagher (2004)
Evaluation of crop rotation and other cultural practices for management of root-knot and lesion nematodes
Agronomy Journal 96 (5), 1419-1428
Abstract: Root-knot [Meloidogyne incognita (Kofoid and White) Chitwood] and lesion [Pratylenchus penetrans (Cobb) Chitwood and Oteifa] nematodes are important pathogens that cause yield and quality losses for most vegetable and field crops in Maryland when they exceed certain threshold levels and if control measures are not applied. Chemical nematicides are the primary control tactic, but their use is both costly and raises environmental concerns. This study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of crop rotation and other cultural practices for management of southern root-knot nematodes (RKNs) and lesion nematodes. Three nonhost crops, a RKN-resistant soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] cultivar, and poultry litter/tillage (Year 1) and fallow (Year 2) were used as summer rotation crops/management options following production of nematode-susceptible crops on two sites in Dorchester County, MD, on Downer and Hammonton sandy loam soils (coarse-loamy, siliceous, mesic Typic and Aquic Hapludults), respectively. Sorghum sudangrass [Sorghum bicolor (L.) x S. arundinaceum (Desv.) Stapf var. sudanense (Stapf) Hitchc.], grown annually as a green manure crop following a nematode-susceptible crop [potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) or cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)], reduced the RKN population as effectively as the control treatment (soybean cultivar with no known RKN resistance and one nematicide application). Sorghum sudangrass and poultry litter/tillage/fallow were equally effective in managing the lesion nematode population. Annual inclusion of these practices was necessary to maintain the reduced population levels that were attained for these two nematode species. Finally, either summer or early-fall sampling dates were determined to be more effective than a midspring sampling date for identifying threshold levels of these two pests.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Kathryne L. Everts, Sandra Sardanelli

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
environment - cropping system/rotation
control - general

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Meloidogyne incognita		U.S.A. (NE)
	Pratylenchus penetrans		U.S.A. (NE)