Plant-Parasitic Nematodes and Their Management: A Review

Abstract

Nowhere will the need to sustainably increase agricultural productivity in line with increasing demand be more pertinent than in resource poor areas of the world, especially Africa, where populations are most rapidly expanding. Although a 35% population increase is projected by 2050. Significant improvements are consequently necessary in terms of resource use efficiency. In moving crop yields towards an efficiency frontier, optimal pest and disease management will be essential, especially as the proportional production of some commodities steadily shifts. With this in mind, it is essential that the full spectrums of crop production limitations are considered appropriately, including the often overlooked nematode constraints about half of all nematode species are marine nematodes, 25% are free-living, soil inhabiting nematodes, I5% are animal and human parasites and l0% are plant parasites. Today, even with modern technology, 5-l0% of crop production is lost due to nematodes in developed countries. So, the aim of this work was to review some agricultural nematodes genera, species they contain and their management methods. In this review work the species, feeding habit, morphology, host and symptoms they show on the effected plant and management of eleven nematode genera was reviewed. The review result indicated that all of the reviewed nematodes were different in terms of the above mentioned character; some have wide host range like Aphelenchoide while some have generally narrow host range and specialized like Heterodera. Some are ecto-parasite and some are endo- parasite and some are both in different part of the plant in their feeding habit like Aphelenchoide it is endoparasite in leaves, but also feeds ecto-parasitically on leaf and flower buds in some plants. Most of them have large number of species. They can be managed by using different methods like; Sanitation of fields and equipment like Pots potting soil, bio-control agents Paecilomyces lilacinus, Periodic rotation, fumigation and using of clean planting materials.

Keywords: Nematodes, Aphelenchoide, Heterodera, bio-control, Periodic rotation and rotation