Organic management strategies for nematode control in Florida plasticulture

Authors: DESAGER, JOHAN - University Of Florida; WILLIAMS, KAYDENE - University Of Florida; Rosskopf, Erin

Submitted to: Springer Verlag
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2022
Publication Date: 9/13/2022
Citation: Desager, J., Williams, K., Rosskopf, E.N. 2022. Organic management strategies for nematode control in Florida plasticulture. In: Chaudhary, K.K., Meghvansi, M.K. (eds) Sustainable Management of Nematodes in Agriculture, Vol.1: Organic Management . Sustainability in Plant and Crop Protection, vol 18. Springer, Cham. 1:293-325. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09943-4_12.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-09943-4_12

Interpretive Summary: Organic production is still in its infancy in Florida, but interest is growing, especially in the fruit and vegetable sector. Most strawberry and vegetable production occurs in open field and on plastic-mulch raised beds in combination with drip irrigation. This so-called plasticulture system, combined with the sandy soils and subtropical climate of Florida, provides an ideal habitat for soilborne pests like root-knot and sting nematodes, which are widely distributed throughout the state and have extensive host ranges and great diversity. These nematodes are without question one of the major constraints to crop production in Florida, and without the option of soil fumigation, they are likely to be one of the most important biological constraints to crop productivity under organic production practices in Florida. Often, interactions with soilborne pathogens like Fusarium and Pythium exacerbate crop damage and further complicate soilborne pest and disease management. In the absence of soil fumigation, which is the most common tactic used to manage nematodes and soilborne pests in Florida plasticulture, organic growers of Florida’s vegetables and strawberries face a formidable challenge and need to find efficacious tools for managing nematodes and diseases in their fields. There is no single alternative to soil fumigation, so a combination of different strategies should be used. The following options will be discussed: (1) cover crops, (2) host resistance, (3) steam, (4) biologically-based soil disinfestation practices, and (5) organic nematicides. Some of these practices improve soil quality and help stimulate natural nematode and disease soil suppressiveness. Nematode suppression has often been associated with enhanced soil microbial diversity and increases in the abundance of select groups of beneficial soil organisms. Understanding the ecological factors that enable these antagonists to persist, compete, and function may improve the basis for using them in an integrated management strategy. Regulatory and consumer pressure to decrease soil fumigant use is increasing and leaves growers all over the US vulnerable, especially in Florida where fumigant use is still very common. Food distributors and wholesale marketers continue to request that growers increase production of organically grown fruits and vegetables. If organic food production systems are to become a reality in Florida and other places with similar nematode and pest complex problems, more effective non-fumigant pest management options are needed, which will require a significant increase in biologically-based soilborne disease management research.

Technical Abstract: Organic production is still in its infancy in Florida, but interest is growing, especially in the fruit and vegetable sector. Most strawberry and vegetable production occurs in open field and on plastic-mulch raised beds in combination with drip irrigation. This so-called plasticulture system, combined with the sandy soils and subtropical climate of Florida, provides an ideal habitat for soilborne pests like root-knot and sting nematodes, which are widely distributed throughout the state and have extensive host ranges and great diversity. These nematodes are without question one of the major constraints to crop production in Florida, and without the option of soil fumigation, they are likely to be one of the most important biological constraints to crop productivity under organic production practices in Florida. Often, interactions with soilborne pathogens like Fusarium and Pythium exacerbate crop damage and further complicate soilborne pest and disease management. In the absence of soil fumigation, which is the most common tactic used to manage nematodes and soilborne pests in Florida plasticulture, organic growers of Florida’s vegetables and strawberries face a formidable challenge and need to find efficacious tools for managing nematodes and diseases in their fields. There is no single alternative to soil fumigation, so a combination of different strategies should be used. The following options will be discussed: (1) cover crops, (2) host resistance, (3) steam, (4) biologically-based soil disinfestation practices, and (5) organic nematicides. Some of these practices improve soil quality and help stimulate natural nematode and disease soil suppressiveness. Nematode suppression has often been associated with enhanced soil microbial diversity and increases in the abundance of select groups of beneficial soil organisms. Understanding the ecological factors that enable these antagonists to persist, compete, and function may improve the basis for using them in an integrated management strategy. Regulatory and consumer pressure to decrease soil fumigant use is increasing and leaves growers all over the US vulnerable, especially in Florida where fumigant use is still very common. Food distributors and wholesale marketers continue to request that growers increase production of organically grown fruits and vegetables. If organic food production systems are to become a reality in Florida and other places with similar nematode and pest complex problems, more effective non-fumigant pest management options are needed, which will require a significant increase in biologically-based soilborne disease management research.