Soybean-Peanut Rotations for the Management of Meloidogyne arenaria and Sclerotium rolfsii

Abstract

Crop rotation of 'Florunner' peanut (Arachis hypogaea) with the soybean (Glycine max) cultivar Kirby was studied for 6 years to evaluate long-term effects on management of Meloidogyne arenaria and Sclerotium rolfsii in peanut production. Plantings included peanut monoculture, soybean every other year, and soybean 2 of every 3 years; for each, aldicarb was applied at-plant every year or was never applied. After 1 or 2 years of soybean, densities of second-stage juveniles (J2) of M. arenaria at peanut harvest were less than 10% of those in peanut control plots. However, populations usually resumed high levels ( 150 J2/100 cm soil) after a subsequent peanut crop. Aldicarb increased average yield from peanut monoculture by 20%. In the first 4 years, peanut yields of 1-year and 2-year rotations were comparable to but no better than those from peanut monoculture receiving aldicarb. During the 6-year study, however, monocultured peanut yield decreased by 35% whereas yields from rotation pl