Nematodes 2

The thing about nematodes, and most members of the soil-food web, is that they have many beneficial aspects, as well as some nasty or yucky ones. Nematodes mineralize soil. They do this in various ways, but primarily by eating and digesting fungus and bacteria which contain nitrogen, and other minerals. The nematodes waste products make the minerals available to plants. There are over 20,0000 species of known nematodes. Some can be seen with the naked eye. They look like a human hair that has movement. The largest known nematode can grow to 30 feet long, and lives in the placenta of sperm whales. A teaspoon of healthy living soil will contain between 40 – 50 nematodes. Nematodes don’t do well in compacted soil, they will move elsewhere. (Teaming with Microbes, J.Lowenfels & W Lewis)

Other benefits of some nematodes include killing garden pests like cutworms and corn earworm moths, and can be purchased as an organic form of pest control. The pesky types of nematodes, are the root-knot nematode, which attack plants, and those that act as vectors spreading plant viruses between crop plants.

Rotations of plants with nematode-resistant species or varieties is one means of managing parasitic nematode infestations. For example, marigolds, grown over one or more seasons (the effect is cumulative), can be used to control nematodes. Another is treatment with natural antagonists such as the fungus Gliocladium roseum. Chitosan, a natural biocontrol, elicits plant defense responses to destroy parasitic cyst nematodes on roots of soybean, corn, sugar beet, potato and tomato crops without harming beneficial nematodes in the soil. (Wikipedia) At Wilco Way, we have found growing marigolds to be very effective with helping control nonbeneficial nematodes.