2025 - Your Commission at Work

YOUR RESEARCH COMMITTEE AT WORK

However, PCR methods require time and technical training to perform. This is in addition to the time required to receive and process the root samples. Research into the development of a rapid and species-specific test for GRKN that may be used at the field or packing house will allow for a more timely response to potentially infected sweetpotatoes. This is anticipated to support increased detection, quarantine, and quality of sweetpotatoes shipped throughout the US and to European markets.

TITLE: Evaluating Integrated Use of Fumigants, Nematicides, and Rotational Crops for Management of GRKN in Sweetpotato in the Field,Storage, and Packing House

LEADER(S): Adrienne M. Gorny (Lead) and Lina Quesada-Ocampo

IMPACT STATEMENT

Meloidogyne enterolobii (guava root-knot nematode, GRKN) is an invasive nematode pathogen in North Carolina and the southeastern United States. It is an aggressive root-knot nematode species and has a broad host range, including sweetpotato, soybean, cotton, tobacco, and numerous vegetables. On crops in which the marketable portion is grown below ground, it causes root galling and damage, and can reduce yield under high population levels of the nematode. While long-term solutions through resistance breeding and medium-term solutions through optimized rotational sequences are investigated, the short-term, stopgap management of M. enterolobii relies on chemical nematicides and sanitation efforts. Yearly data regarding nematicide efficacy is key for providing up-to-date management recommendations and practices. The nematicide efficacy testing performed in this project adds more data to understand which products are most effective, as we know from previous research that the effectiveness of chemical nematicides may be highly influenced by conditions such as temperature, soil moisture, soil texture, and population level of the nematodes. In addition, work performed here seeks to quantify the potential risk of sweetpotato wash tank water as a source of contamination and an effective sanitation agent, along with the product concentration and time required to effectively reduce or eliminate this risk.

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