Department of Botany and Plant Pathology

Biology, ecology and pathology of nematodes in natural and agroecosystems; nematode management in potato, peppermint and fruit crops.

• Nematodes which live in soil may be plant parasites, insect parasites or feed on microbial or faunal organisms in the soil. My research involves the study of the biology and ecology of plant parasites to develop better chemical, cultural and biological control methods to reduce yield losses in potatoes, mint, fruit crops and wheat. An important focus of this work is to develop management strategies which utilize green manure covercrops to suppress nematodes to reduce the need for nematicide inputs. Interrelationships between nematodes and other plant pathogens and the importance of nematodes in native ecosystems are also studied.

Research Group Members

Faculty Research Assistants/Associates

• Nadine Wade