TABLE CONTENTS

SESSION FOURTEEN – PLENARY SESSION: COMMONALITIES AND
DIFFERENCES IN NEMATODE ISSUES ACROSS THE GLOBE
CONVENORS: JOHN WEBSTER & ROSA MANZANILLA-LOPEZ
Global Issues in Nematode Ecology and Management
Ferris, H.
Department of Nematology, University of California, Davis CA 95616, USA
The many factors affecting nematode ecology and management change in response to
environmental and economic pressures. Some current drivers include global climate change
and mitigation measures, fossil fuel depletion, global trade agreements, land tenure and land
use practices, and environmental hazards of pesticide usage. There are profound ecological
consequences and responses to the interaction of the drivers of change; their integral
influence results in change in geographic ranges of crop production, perhaps with
concomitant movement of associated nematode species. Crop genotypes are exposed to
habitats with novel nematode communities. Global trade agreements result in changes in
regions of food production, with enormous influence on local and regional economies, and in
concerns regarding pesticide use, residue testing and food safety. Emerging pesticide and
environmental regulations, and fuel costs, dictate crop management based on soil and
environmental stewardship as well as on maximization of highest quality production. On
leased land, soil stewardship conserves and improves soil health for the benefit of future
tenants. Land availability and educational programs may reduce slash and burn approaches in
subsistence agriculture. In all forms of land tenure, functional complementarity and
functional continuity become management goals in developing pest-suppressive soils. Highly
diverse, mixed cropping systems provide a consistent food supply at the local level and
mitigate climate change effects while generating ecosystem diversity and regulating pest
populations. The legacy of crop management decisions is retained in the soil. In some cases,
management practices will be developed that are less intrusive and disturbing so that services
of the soil food web will increase in importance and significance. In other cases, novel
strategies will be required which may be very disruptive to the ecosystem. New challenges in
nematode management are emerging and there will be greater opportunities to design and
develop crop management systems that have sound ecological bases.
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