Nematode Management with Cover Crops

 

The design of a cropping system with the use of cover crops for plant-parasitic nematode management relies on the knowledge of all the biological components involved in an ecosystem. Considerations in nematode management by cover crops will be discussed in detail in this section. Studies of the mechanisms of cover crop in nematode suppression will help in the decision making for cover crop selection. Response of a cover crop in nematode management also depends on the local nematode isolates and the mixture of nematode species as well as other soil organisms present. A summary of nematode susceptibility of cover crops used in the southern United States is listed in Table 1. Response of a cover crop species may also varies from genotype to genotype. Examples of cover crops with well-studied genotype response to nematodes will be shown in this section.

v Considerations in nematode management by cover crops

v Mechanisms of cover crop in nematode suppression

v Management of nematodes by cowpea cover crop

 

 

Table 1. Susceptibility of cover crops to plant-parasitic nematodes in southern United States.

 

 

M. arenaria race 1

M. incognita

race 1

M. incognita race 3

M. javanica

Belonolaimus longicaudatus

Criconemella spp.

Helicotylenchus dihystera

Paratrichodorus minor

Aeschynomene americana

American jointvetch

R[1],[2]

R[3], [4]

S[2]

R[5]

R[3]

-

-

-

Arachis hypogaea

Peanut

S[2]

R[2]

R[2]

R[2]

-

-

-

-

Canavalia ensiformis

Horsebean

Variable[1],[7]

S[7]

I[1]

Variable [1],[7]

 

-

-

-

-

Cassia fasiculata

Patridge pea

R[2,6]

R[2]

R[2]

R[2]

-

-

-

-

Crotalaria spectabilis Crotalaria

R[2],[1]

R[2]

R[2]

R[2]

-

-

-

-

Glycine max

Soybean

-

R

‘Kirby’[2]

-

-

-

-

-

-

Gossypium hirsutum

Cotton

R[2]

R[3], [2]

S[2]

R[2]

S[3]

-

S[3]

S[3]

Indigofera hirsuta

Hairy indigo

R[1]

-

-

-

-

-

-

-

Mucuna deeringiana

Velvet bean

R[3]

R[3]

-

R[2]

R[3]

-

S[3]

R[3]

Panicum ramosum

Millet

-

I[8]

-

-

-

-

S[8]

-

Ricinus communis

Castor bean

R[4],[9]

R[4],[2]

R[2]

R[2]

-

-

R[3]

R[3]

Secale cereale

Rye

R[10]

I[11]

R[10]

I[11]

R[10]

 

R[10]

 

S[11]

-

-

-

Sesamum indicum

Sesame

I

‘Oro Benne’ ‘Sesaco 16’[1]

R

‘Oro Benne’ ‘Baco’[12], [13]

R

‘Oro Benne’,

 ‘Baco’[12], [13]

-

-

-

-

-

R[3]

‘Sesaco 16’

Sorghum bicolor

Sorghum

R

R

‘DeKalb S25E’[14]

S