Nematodes in the News: Threats to Your Corn You’ll Never See Coming
Changes in corn production practices may be supporting an increase in nematode injury to corn, but little attention has been given to them for several decades. With the declining popularity of planter insecticide boxes and most traditional granular insecticides and nematicides, producers have been left with few management options when faced with nematode problems in corn. More recently, the fine tuning of crop management practices and the introduction of two new seed treatment nematicides has led to renewed interest in these nematodes, their distribution, and management. A nematode survey conducted in Midwest states in 2007 identified plant parasites in more than 99% of corn fields, including in all 268 of those sampled in Illinois, to varying degrees. While not all fields are equally infested and at elevated risk for yield loss, root-lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) were confirmed in 80% or more of the fields in the Midwest and Illinois. This nematode is a small endoparasite, usually feeding inside roots, and is not limited by soil textures, in contrast to some other plant parasites. There are numerous species of Pratylenchus spp. that are capable of feeding on corn (as well as soybean and other crops) and this nematode has been identified by many nematologists as the cause of the most nematode damage to corn cumulatively across the Corn Belt. These results have led to increased interest in sampling for nematodes and the deployment of effective management strategies, which may now include a seed treatment. More information will be presented on nematode diversity in corn, as well as the results of nematicide trials.
Speakers
Dr. Tamra Jackson
Department of Plant Pathology
Lincoln, 68583-0722
BIO: Tamra Jackson joined the faculty of the Department of Plant Pathology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) as an Extension Specialist and Assistant Professor in April 2005. She attended graduate school and completed her degrees at the University of Arkansas (M.S. – Plant Pathology), University of Missouri, and University of Illinois (Ph.D. – Crop Sciences/Plant Pathology). Her appointment is split between extension (75%) and research (25%) and she has statewide extension responsibility for diseases of corn and grain sorghum. Her extension activities are focused on educating clientele about disease identification and management to mitigate the effects of diseases on yield and grain quality. Her research projects encompass a broad range of topics, including distribution and detection of plant parasitic nematodes of corn, Goss’s bacterial wilt and blight, mycotoxins in ethanol distillers grains, and the effective use of fungicides for foliar disease control. Since starting her position in 2005, she has delivered more than 50 invited presentations in 11 states and is the 2009 recipient of both the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture’s Dinsdale Family Faculty Teaching Award and the Extension Distinguished New Employee Award.
