Integrated pest management (IPM) of nematodes

Publication date: 28/10/2019
Extent: 70 pages

Contributions by: Hendrika Fourie and Dirk De Waele, North-West University, South Africa

Chapter synopsis: Limited and fragmented information is available about long-term research efforts that demonstrate the value and impact of integrated pest management to combat nematodes. This particularly applies to major cereal (maize, wheat and rice) and leguminous (peanut, soybean and sunflower) crops on which this chapter focusses, and the economically most important nematode pests (root-knot, cyst and root-lesion nematodes) damaging such crops. A summary on the basic biology and morphology of nematodes is given, followed by integral and popular strategies (cultural, biological and chemical control and host plant resistance) used worldwide. A case study demonstrates the integration of multiple nematode control strategies, followed by the novel use of transgenic crops with nematode resistance, challenges faced in terms of nematode management under changing environmental conditions and practices (focussing on minimal disturbance of soil and conservation of soil-fauna communities) and the challenge posed by weeds as hosts of major nematode pests is also discussed.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2019.0047.25