Nutrition and General Care of the Host

The deleterious effects of nematode damage to certain crops can be offset to some degree by proper nutrition, moisture, and protection from adverse conditions such as cold that place plants under stress. Practices that tend to offset the damage caused by nematode attack include irrigation, conservation of moisture by mulching, fertilization, protection of plants on cold nights, and control of root and foliar diseases caused by other pathogens. It should be pointed out, however, that these are only delaying tactics, and if susceptible crops are grown continuously, the nematode population will reach proportions that will cause serious damage. The rapidity of disease development and the magnitude of the damage will depend on the host and nematode species involved, the resistance or tolerance of the host, and various factors in the environment that favor or deter development of the disease.

Some research has shown that soil population levels of several nematode species may be changed by host nutrition and, similarly, that disease development and severity are more pronounced in infected plants that are deficient in one or more essential nutrients. Nematode infection also has been found to cause an increase or decrease in the concentration of one or more minerals in leaf or root tissue. The interactions among host, parasite, and nutrition are complex, and the application of such information to fertilization programs designed to minimize crop plant nematode damage is just beginning.