Crop Rotation Systems for the Management of Meloidogyne arenaria in Peanut

Abstract

An eight-year study with peanut (Arachis hypogaea), soybean (Glycine max), and corn (Zea mays) was established to determine the effect of selected rotation systems with these crops on population dynamics of Meloidogyne arenaria. The study was conducted in a field initially lightly infested with the nematode. The size of the population of the nematode, determined each year near peanut harvest time, increased with each succeeding year in plots with continuous peanut. The pattern of increase was best described by the logistic equation J = 600/(1 + e ), where L represented the number of juveniles per 100 cm soil and T the number of years in peanut. A rotation system of one year of peanut (P) followed by 2 years of corn (C) was most effective in maintaining low ( 100/100 cm soil) juvenile populations of the nematode. A rotation of peanut followed by a year each of 'Bragg' soybean (S) and corn was almost as effective as the P-C-C system. The P-S-C rotation resulted in populations 100 juv