The use of molecular biology techniques in Plant Nematology: past, present and future

Aspects of the use of molecular biology techniques in three areas of Plant Nematology (molecular taxonomy and diagnostics, genetic engineering for resistance and gene identification and function) are presented. Selected examples are used to illustrate the expansion of research in these areas and, especially, to indicate the priorities and possible future developments for molecular biology studies of plant-parasitic nematodes. Emphasis is placed on the need for novel control strategies based on genetic engineering for resistance, the desirability of using information from Caenorhabditis elegans research and the need for an integrated approach with physiologists and biochemists to determine gene function.