Studies on the Use of Soil Edaphic Factors for the Development of Site Specific Management Strategies for Rotylenchulus reniformis on Cotton

Abstract

The reniform nematode, Rotylenchulus reniformis, is currently one of the most limiting factors to cotton production in the United States. With no available commercial host plant resistance, options for management of R. reniformis are limited to the use of rotations with non-hosts and the use of nematicides, each of which varies greatly in cost-savings and effectiveness. Site-specific application is used for a wide variety of agricultural practices, and successful programs for other species of nematodes in cotton, such as Meloidogyne incognita and Hoplolaimus columbus, are currently in use. The future of site-specific management for R. reniformis in cotton depends on determining which soil factors can be utilized to predict damage and the development of reliable recommendations based on this knowledge. The first half of this dissertation focuses on soil texture distribution and its effect on the cotton/R. reniformis interaction both directly and with respect to its influence on soil moisture availability. The second half focuses on utilizing soil texture to create management zones within cotton production systems for maximum yield and cost savings. Through these studies, a greater understanding of the differential effects of soil texture on the cotton/R. reniformis interaction is achieved as well as solutions for production scale management of R. reniformis in cotton.