Drip irrigation as a delivery system for infestation of field plots with nematodes
Becker, J.O.; Monson, M.; Van Gundy, S.D.; Schroth, M.N.
Journal of Nematology 21(4): 524-529
1989
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-300X PMID: 19287648 Document Number: 338915
A drip irrigation delivery system was used to infest field sites with the plant-parasitic root-knot nematodes, Meloidogyne incognita. Juvenile or egg inocula passed through the system without blockage of emitters or harm to the nematodes. Field sites so infested were available for experimentation. Delivery of approximately 5 .times. 104 to 105 juveniles or 103 to 3 .times. 105 eggsper emitter through the drip system resulted in heavy root galling of tomatoes planted next to the drip emitters. Nematodes feeding on bacteria (Acrobeloides sp.) and on fungi (Deladenus durus) also were successfully applied through the drip system. This method has potential for uniformly infesting expermental sites with plant-parasitic or entomogenous nematodes and for manipulation of nematod ecommunity structure for soil ecological studies.