Long overdue for a Sample of the Week! Pest: Root Knot Nematode (Meloidogyne spp.) Host: Weeds growing in greenhouse Symptoms: Root Knot nematodes are endoparasitic, meaning that they (females) live and feed within the roots of the host. Symptoms include generalized decline and swelling/galling of the colonized roots. While it only takes one single nematode to affect an entire plant, each female can produce over 500 eggs that undergo multiple divisions (begin as one cell, then divide into two, four, and eight cells) before a final transformation into tadpoles and juvenile nematodes. There are currently over 5,000 reported host plants, including many common food crops. Fun fact: Root Knot nematodes have the ability to change the gender of their offspring depending on current population numbers! *The females are shown as white egg-like masses with extended, pinched mouths for feeding and attachment, and the eggs are rectangular (still within the female when photo was taken) - some are also shown in the two-celled stage of the life cycle! Enjoy! -BC
Posted on: Wed, 10 Sep 2014 21:16:16 +0000
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