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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #370794
Research Project: Development of Knowledge-based Approaches for Disease Management in Small Fruit and Nursery Crops

Location: Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit

Title: New reduced-risk agricultural nematicides – Rationale and review

Author
item DESAEGER, J - University Of Florida
item WRAM, C - Oregon State University
item Zasada, Inga

Submitted to: Journal of Nematology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/31/2020
Publication Date: 9/3/2020
Citation: Desaeger, J., Wram, C., Zasada, I.A. 2020. New reduced-risk agricultural nematicides – Rationale and review. Journal of Nematology. 52:1-16. https://doi.org/10.21307/jofnem-2020-091.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21307/jofnem-2020-091

Interpretive Summary: The last decade has seen a sharp increase in nematicide research in the agricultural industry. As a result, several new synthetic nematicides, compounds that kill nematodes, have become available to growers, and several more are expected in the near future. This new interest in nematicides is related to the growing demand for safer and more selective products, and the increasing regulatory pressure on many of the traditional nematicides - leading to the ban of several widely used nematicides. The loss of traditional nematicides, combined with a lack of replacement products and awareness of the damage that nematodes can cause, has not only raised concern among growers, but has also created new opportunities for the crop protection industry. Nematicides have become fashionable, and many companies are now allocating significant research dollars to discover new nematicides. The new nematicides are very different from previous products: (1) they are more selective, often only targeting nematodes, and (2) they are less toxic, and safer to use. This review article describes these new developments by discussing the challenges that are associated with finding new nematicides, reviewing the nature, characteristics, and efficacy of new nematicides, and discussing the impact they could have on future nematode management.

Technical Abstract: The last decade has seen a sharp increase in nematicide research in the agricultural industry. As a result, several new synthetic nematicides have become available to growers, and several more are expected in the near future. This new interest in nematicides is related to the growing demand for safer and more selective products, and the increasing regulatory pressure on many of the traditional nematicides. This has led to a ban of several widely used fumigant (e.g. methyl bromide) and non-fumigant (e.g. aldicarb, fenamiphos) nematicides. The loss of traditional nematicides, combined with a lack of replacement products and awareness of the damage that nematodes can cause, has not only raised concern among growers, but has also created new opportunities for the crop protection industry. Nematicides have become fashionable, and many companies are now allocating significant research dollars to discover new nematicides. The new nematicides are very different from previous products: (1) they are more selective, often only targeting nematodes, and (2) they are less toxic, and safer to use.