Cause Meloidogyne hapla, a sedentary endoparasite. Only second-stage juveniles (the infective stage) and adult males (which may be rare) are in soil. Root-knot nematodes are found nearly everywhere and are the only known nematode pest of Oregon vegetables grown in the greenhouse. The nematodes usually are introduced with infested soil or mulch materials and in transplants.
Symptoms Infected plants are stunted and produce little or no fruit. They wilt conspicuously in warm weather. Knots or galls of infected roots are usually much larger and more numerous on greenhouse-grown crops than on field-grown crops.
Chemical control
- Mocap 15G at 13 lb/A in a band 12 to 15 inches wide on the row at planting. Do not use a seed furrow treatment or let seeds contact the product. 48-hr reentry.
- Salibro at 15.3 to 23 fl oz/A as a pre-plant soil incorporation/drip or at 7.7 fl oz/A as an in-season drip chemigation. Can be reapplied once on a minimum of a 28-day interval. Preharvest interval is 1 day. 12-hr reentry.
Biological control MeloCon WG at 2 to 4 lb/A at 4- to 6-week intervals for nematode suppression. See label for specific application types and timings. 4-hr reentry. O