—Lancaster farming, Saturday f February 17,1979
130
Plant nematodes spell had news for
NEWARK, Del. - Most
people have probably never
seen one. They may never
even have heard of them.
But nematodes are a very
real cause of concern for
Delaware farmers and
gardeners. In fact, a survey
last Fall by the Universities
of Delaware and Maryland
shows a high percentage of
this pest on Delmarva
cropland.
Nematodes are common
round worms that inhabit
many environments. Neither
insect nor earthworm, they
may be parasites of man,
causing trichinosis,
elephantiasus, hookworms,
Growth predicted
in sheep
DENVER, Colo. - 1979 is
the Chinese Year of the
Sheep on the Oriental
Fortune Calendar and,
according to a top official of
the Denver-based American
Sheep Producers Council,
that omen may signal the
long-awaited production
turn-around for file nation’s
sheep industry.
Richard D. Biglin,”
executive director of ASPC,
predicted that 1979 is going
to mark the “real
millenium” in the sheep
industry - the make-it-or
break-it type of effort which
will see the industry grow
and prosper.
Biglin’s remarks, sum
med-up in a year-end report
to the Council, called for a
concerted effort to increase
sheep production in order to
preserve present markets
for lamb and wool against
the increasing threats of
imports.
Since the end of World War
n, sheep numbers in the
United States have declined
from a high of 52 million to a
1977 low of 12.4 million head.
Meanwhile, the domestic
demand for both American
and pinworms. Some, such
as dog heart worms, are
parasites of animals. The
kind that University of
Delaware Extension plant
pathologist Bob Mulrooney
worries about are plant
parasitic nematodes.
These microscopic little
creatures live in the soil,
where they feed on plant
roots. They interfere with
the root system’s normal
uptake of water and
nutrients, and the result is
sick or unhealthy plants.
Crops infested with
nematodes don’t grow well
and produce low yields of
poor quality.
Besides their direct
industry
damage. All these other
causes must be ruled out, in
and wool fiber
With the 3
tadustry supplying only SlfiiStorf S?
some 6° per cent (estimated) t fj e i d These
of the current domestic
demand for both products, SJjJJJJ® fw
imports of lamb and raw
wool are causimr conwm degeneration of plant parts
wooi are causing concern usually the roots Thiq
among many producers. ~zlrf A o ~f
Biglin said other coun- m yeUomng and
tries, notably Australia and of as well
New Zealand, see the as lesions <> n the roots The
potential of the U.S. market “5*3
and are increasing their formation of root galls and
exports to major American
markets. “Our markets will Thf c a "fc
“ KSS bSTSSto. wS™
sustain the markets we . ..
have,” he added. f 6 * 8 811(1 oth «
T . *. . , , , beans, as well as cucurbit
in Delaware's sandier
LMSi. STS . Tbe third sign of nematode
signs of halting the declingin SSSX^S£?SSS
SS M*"-**!*-!*-
figures are released in injury are
January. Originally, the, b y reduced yields.
Blueprint program was . onc . e have
planned to stop the decline as the cause
by 1980, then promote trl i
gradual growth to double T**? F e several ~i c o’ }t ri o !
sheep production by 1985. „ r a
destructive effect on plants,
nematodes also serve as
vectors for plant viruses and
predispose plants to diseases -
caused by fungi and bac
teria. The minute organisms
are oresent in most soil
types. But they cause the
most trouble in sandy soils
such as those which abound
in the lower part of
Delaware.
Diagnosis of • nematode
problems can be difficult for
two reasons, explains
Mulrooney. First, you can’t
see these little creatures
without a microscope. And
second, the symptoms they
produce resemble those
produced by other factors,
such as nutrient deficien
cies, drought, bacteria, fungi
or viruses. Even herbicide
injury can sometimes be
confused with nematode
least reduce it to levels that
don’t interfere with
production.
The best control, points out
the specialist, is prevention.
For a commercial vegetable
grower, this involves
planting only transplants
known to be nematode-free.
Another way to prevent the
problem is to plant
nematode-resistant varieties
of crops, where these are
available.
Another useful control
strategy is crop rotation. By
not planting the same crop in
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the same area year after
year, one can reduce
nematode populations to a
level which does not cause
economic damage.
Where the above control
• measures are inadequate or
inappropriate for some
reason, one may also have to
use chemical controls A
number of nematicides are
available for this purpose.
“We are just beginning to
understand the extent of the
nematode population in
Delaware soils,” says
Mulrooney. The plant
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Newville.PA 17241
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crops
pathologist has identified the
problem in crop production
fields as well as home
gardens, in heavy soils as
well as the lighter, sandy
ones. Because of this, be
feels both farmers and home
gardeners need to be aware
of the possibility for
nematode damage to the
crops they grow. Awareness
of the problem is the first
step toward developing
effective control measures
for this unseen pest which
eats away at yields and
profits on Delaware land.
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