Nematodes Research Paper

Words: 768
Pages: 4

What are nematodes and how does it affect plants? Do you know what nematodes are? Nematodes are roundworms creatures that are located in the soil. They are in tiny little sacks which can hold up to a thousand of them. They are as tiny as your pinky finger and can grow up to 3 times their size. They feed on the vegetables and other crop nutrients killing it of slow causing mutation in the external part of the vegetable this annual causes 6 million dollars in damage annually in the United States alone. Have you ever pulled out a bad vegetable like a tomato or carrot and it had lumps on its root? Well, the vegetable I infected with nematodes. Nematodes are a tiny multicellular animal that adapts to the environment( Oder, What are nematodes). There are over a thousand of them and are found in all kinds of soil around the world. Some nematodes are beneficial and help control cutworms, fleas, ants, termites, grubs, and other lawn insect pests. The nematodes that damage vegetable plants are not helpful and are called plant-parasitic nematodes. It's important to understand there are two different things going on here with nematodes and not to get confused; said Elizabeth L.Little an assistant professor parasitic nematodes feed on the plants nutrients and cause it to developed warts and lumps in the external part of …show more content…
There are divided into four groups bacterial feeders, Fungal feeders, predatory nematodes, and omnivores. Bacterial feeders can consume bacteria which are the helpful nematodes, Fungal feeders feed by making a hole in the cell wall of fungi and feed on its insides, Predatory nematodes eat all types of nematodes. They will eat smaller organisms whole or attach themselves to larger organisms and slowly eat them away and Omnivores eat a variety of organisms and may have a different diet at different stages of life (Ingham Soil