The potential of traditional nematicides to effect environmental and health hazards has led to a proliferation of wide ranging alternative schemes for nematode control. Even so, it is generally accepted that chemical agents will likely constitute major means for the foreseeable future. Unfortunately, the reservoir of environmentally safe chemical agents remains virtually unexplored. The intent herein is to illustrate the potential of selected biochemical inhibitors for control of Heterodera schachtii. Hydroxyurea and aminooxyacetic acid, inhibitors of ethylene biosynthesis and d-limonene, an insect nerve transmission inhibitor, exhibit a capacity to retard nematode population increases comparable to traditional nematicides.
