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Turning the light on nematodes
Clemson
scientists have made a breakthrough discovery in the management of the
root-knot nematode, a parasite that reduces crop yields worldwide by diverting
nutrients from the plant's shoot to the roots. The parasite affects major
food and fiber crops - such as tomato, soybean, peanut, corn, cotton,
and tobacco - and is difficult to control without pesticides.
Researchers
found that using red plastic mulch altered the light environment of the
plants and allowed them to produce their crops in spite of the nematodes'
presence. The reflected red light stimulated the plant to send nutrients
to the shoots, overriding the nematodes' signals to feed the roots.
This finding, along with an integrated management system that uses crop rotation and plant resistance, reduces nematode damage without heavy reliance on pesticides.
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