What kinds of Nematodes May Hurt Fruit Crops in Florida?
Many kinds of nematodes have been reported in and around the roots of various fruit crops, but only a few are known to cause serious damage to most fruit crops, including root-knot, lesion, dagger, needle, ring, and stubby-root nematodes. Following are notes about a few of these: • Root-knot nematodes (many Meloidogyne species) have been known to parasitize various fruit crops for over a century. Root-knot nematodes are sedentary endoparasites whose feeding usually stimulates growth of galls or knots on roots (Figure 2). They disrupt normal formation and function of roots and allow easier entry into the roots for many fungi and bacteria which can cause disease or decay of the roots. • Lesion nematodes (many Pratylenchus species) are migratory endoparasites that feed on many kinds of woody plants, including most fruit crops. They are moderately important pests of fruit crops. • Ring nematodes (several species of Criconemoides and related genera) are small, cigar-shaped animals that are
