Nematode control by crop rotation is difficult since all major vegetables are damaged by one or the other species of the 3 root-knot nematodes (Table 1) and the vegetable plots are traditionally kept near the house in the same place for security. These plots are never used for small grains. Nematicides cannot yet be recommended as they are untried in Nepal, supplies of all imported agricultural chemicals are uncertain and the people are generally careless when handling pesticides. Therefore, selection and seed multiplication of resistant varieties (Sasser and Kirby, 1979) and improvement of horticultural practices are the only realistic control measures for the near future. The personnel and financial resources are not available for successful breeding programmes of several vegetables. Resistant varieties from other parts of the world will be tested and it is hoped that agronomically and culinarily acceptable varieties can be identified for local use. Extension work has shown that improved horticultural practices can give immediate results. Seedlings can be produced in relatively uncontaminated soil, e.g. from rice fields. The tradition of not growing small grains in the garden should be changed so that vegetables could be rotated with non-hosts.
