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About 90% of nematodes reside in the top 15 cm (6") of soil. Nematodes do not decompose organic matter, but, instead, are parasitic and free-living organisms that feed on living material. Nematodes can effectively regulate bacterial population and community composition—they may eat up to 5,000 bacteria per minute.
Root-knot nematodes are plant-parasitic nematodes from the genus Meloidogyne. They exist in soil in areas with hot climates or short winters. About 2000 species of plants worldwide are susceptible to infection by root-knot nematodes and they cause approximately 5% of global crop loss . [ 1 ]
If entomopathogenic nematodes suppress the population of insect root herbivores, they indirectly benefit plants by freeing them from grazing pressure. This is an example of a trophic cascade in which consumers at the top of the food web (nematodes) exert an influence on the abundance of resources (plants) at the bottom.
There may be as many as 300,000 species of parasites affecting vertebrates, [9] and as many as 300 affecting humans alone. [10] Helminths of importance in the sanitation field are the human parasites, and are classified as Nemathelminthes (nematodes) and Platyhelminthes, depending on whether they possess a round or flattened body, respectively. [8]
Xiphinema diversicaudatum are large nematodes, 4.0mm-5.5mm in length. [2] They have a long protrusible odontostyle , which is around 0.1 mm long and capable of penetrating into a host's vascular tissue. [ 4 ]
Meloidogyne incognita (root-knot nematode, RKN), also known as the southern root-nematode or cotton root-knot nematode is a plant-parasitic roundworm in the family Heteroderidae. This nematode is one of the four most common species worldwide and has numerous hosts. It typically incites large, usually irregular galls on roots as a result of ...
The end result is stunted, wilted, and yellowing plants (characteristic of nutrient deficiency) and a decreased yield. [3] Severity of the symptoms depends on nematode population density and host plant species and cultivar. As the number of nematodes increase in the area, the number and size of root galls increase as well.
The nematode has a cuticle with 4–6 layers. The lips are offset with 4–5 annules, which are divided into tile-like structures. The nematodes body is slightly curved when relaxed. [4] [5] Females have two ovaries which overlap the spermatheca. The vulva is found near the center of the body and the rectum near the tip of the tail.