Nematodes in plant quarantine: Detection of plant parasitic nematode infestations difficult because of complexity of possible causes of visible symptoms

Abstract

Nearly all the major crop pests in California–including plant parasitic nematodes–have been introduced on or in host plants or as contaminants on articles of commerce. There are, however, a number of nematode species of serious economic importance in other parts of the world which are not known to occur in California. The golden nematode is a serious pest of potato in Europe and on Long Island, New York; the sting nematode injures many crops in the southeastern states; the soybean cyst nematode, in the Mississippi Valley and other southeastern states, attacks soybean, snapbean, and other plants of the bean family; and the burrowing nematode, reported to be the cause of spreading decline of citrus in Florida, are some of the nematode species not yet established in California.