Integrated management of Meloidogyne chitwoodi and M. fallax in potato: a complicated agronomical puzzle in the Netherlands and Belgium

Meloidogyne chitwoodi and M. fallax have been important nematode problems in arable farming in the Netherlands and Belgium ever since their detection in the 1980s. Their quarantine status and the damage inflicted on product quality in important cash crops such as potato, carrots, black salsify and gladiolus has increased drastically the need for integrated nematode management strategies that prevent yield losses and further spreading. This chapter elaborates on the economic importance, host range, distribution, symptoms of damage, biology and life cycle, interactions with other nematodes and pathogens, recommended integrated nematode management (prevention, inventory, crop rotation and supporting measures), and management optimization of M. chitwoodi and M. fallax. Future research requirements are also mentioned