Track 2-09: Soil Quality, Biology and Plant-Soil Interactions
Description
To most grassland farmers nematodes mean trouble: they are important parasites of both pasture plants and livestock. While there is no doubting the considerable losses caused by nematodes, crop and livestock pests represent a tiny minority of the approximately 26,000 described nematode species. Here I examine the beneficial effects of nematodes within grassland systems and their beneficial uses. Nematodes in grassland soils increase plant available nutrients, move beneficial microbes through the rhizosphere and control insect and mollusc herbivores. We can use nematodes as biological control agents, and also as indicators of soil health/quality. While no single group of organisms can give a comprehensive overview of soil health, nematodes offer many advantages. In field soils, analysis of nematode abundance and diversity allows us to infer much about the soils health and function. Furthermore, the short lifespan and numerous biological techniques developed for the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans makes this animal an excellent species for use in ecotoxicity testing. We can measure the worm’s response at the molecular, behavioural and reproductive level. Nematodes thus have much potential for assessing risks and benefits associated with novel agricultural practices, agrochemicals and transgenic crops.
Included in
Benefits and Uses of Nematodes in Grassland Soils
To most grassland farmers nematodes mean trouble: they are important parasites of both pasture plants and livestock. While there is no doubting the considerable losses caused by nematodes, crop and livestock pests represent a tiny minority of the approximately 26,000 described nematode species. Here I examine the beneficial effects of nematodes within grassland systems and their beneficial uses. Nematodes in grassland soils increase plant available nutrients, move beneficial microbes through the rhizosphere and control insect and mollusc herbivores. We can use nematodes as biological control agents, and also as indicators of soil health/quality. While no single group of organisms can give a comprehensive overview of soil health, nematodes offer many advantages. In field soils, analysis of nematode abundance and diversity allows us to infer much about the soils health and function. Furthermore, the short lifespan and numerous biological techniques developed for the model nematode Caenorhabditis elegans makes this animal an excellent species for use in ecotoxicity testing. We can measure the worm’s response at the molecular, behavioural and reproductive level. Nematodes thus have much potential for assessing risks and benefits associated with novel agricultural practices, agrochemicals and transgenic crops.
