Nematodes and crop disease

Mai (1964) considered that there were less than 100 nematode diseases of serious proportions, but many more causing less obvious or severe damage were still unrecognized. A rather general account is here given of the role of nematodes in plant disease, using as examples nematodes and crops of economic importance–-including cyst-forming, root-knot, burrowing and reniform nematodes on crops such as potatoes, sugar beet, temperate cereals, citrus, bananas, cotton and soya beans.