The past, present and future of plant nematology in International Agricultural Research Centres

This article reviews the plant parasitic nematodes of the major mandate crops of the International Agricultural Research Centres, which include 19 of the world's key staple crops such as rice, wheat, maize, potato, barley, root crops and grain legumes, and discusses the problems faced by those working in plant nematology around the world. It emphasises the damage caused by plant parasitic nematodes; nematologists have estimated that they cause crop yield losses at nearly 9% in the developed world and at over 14% in developing countries. Despite this, the authors argue that plant nematology is a sorely neglected science within the IARCs, with the number of nematologists remaining static over the last 20 years, while staff numbers overall have increased by 250% in the same perio