TABLE CONTENTS

European Approach to Nematode Management in Biobased Economy
Korthals, G.W. & L.P.G. Molendijk
Applied Plant Research (PPO-AGV), Wageningen University and Research, P.O. Box 430, 8200 AK Lelystad,
the Netherlands
The increasing interest for energy crops and new industrial crops will change the agricultural
landscape throughout Europe. Many crop rotations, such as sugar beet-wheat-potato, which
were common for decades may change in favour of energy crops, such as maize. These
changes will be seen above ground, but will certainly have their impact belowground as well.
It can be hypothesized that these changes will have an impact on the control of soil born
pathogens, like nematodes. PPO revitalised the idea of a Nematode Control Strategy (NCS)
on farm level.
The Nematode Control Strategy is based on:
• an inventory of potential problems considering soil type, cropping history and planned
crops within the rotation;
• an inventory of actual problems through soil sampling and crop inspection to determine
nematode species and population densities for each of the growers fields;
• the design of a sound crop rotation scheme based on potential and actual problems and
economic feasibility;
• prevalence of other soil-borne diseases e.g. Rhizoctonia solani and Verticillium dahliae;
• additional measures like black fallow, biofumigation and other biological control
measures
To get a NCS implemented on European level, interaction is needed between farmers, farmer
organisations, agro industry, extension services, plant protection services and nematologists.
Farmers themselves have to be aware of the effects of nematodes on both yield and quality.
This is only possible when farmers and their intermediates can recognize nematode
symptoms and have an infrastructure available to process soil and root samples to confirm
findings and to make an inventory of farmer fields. Furthermore research and extension
infrastructure is needed to develop technical and economical feasible measures to solve
encountered problems. To aid the development and implementation of European Nematode
Control Strategies, several tools are presented and discussed. A first tool in which qualitative
knowledge on host status and tolerance of crop nematode combinations is summarized can be
found as www.aaltjesschema.nl (In Dutch). An second tool, which is a quantitative Decision
Support System on the control of potato cyst nematodes, called NemaDecide, will be
demonstrated as well. There is a challenge for nematologists of the ESN and SON to
cooperate in developing an international Nematode Control Strategy and to develop
awareness and knowledge to bring solutions on farm level.
5 th International Congress of Nematology, 2008 118