How to deal with the nematode of the earth: folk recipes, chemicals and siderates

Nematodes are very small pests, and therefore it is very difficult to notice the infection in time. At the same time, despite their small size, these parasites can spoil growing crops quite strongly. Let's take a closer look at their description and see how to deal with the land nematode.

Description

Nematodes (Nematodes) belong to the class of roundworms and are one of the largest types among other representatives of the animal kingdom. Science knows about 30 thousand of their species, but their real diversity is much higher.

On a note! According to scientists, in nature there are approximately 1 million species of nematodes!

Representatives of most species are plant parasites, many parasitize in the body of animals and humans. The former provoke nematode diseases in plants, the latter include roundworms, worms, trichinella, hookworms, etc. - such parasites cause diseases called nematodes. There are also free-living nematodes that live in soil, water bodies with fresh and salt water.
The size of the nematode will depend on its species and can range from 80 microns to several meters. The body is represented by a fusiform shape, tapers from both ends, with a cross section - round.

On a note! The largest nematodes belong to the species Placentonema gigantissima. They parasitize in the placenta of the sperm whale, and the length of their body can be about 8 meters!

Speaking specifically about soil nematodes, their body size is very small - no more than 2 mm. They live exclusively in the rhizomes of plants, and in the process of life they are so striking that they gradually lose their ability to function normally.

Malware

As mentioned above, plant-eating nematodes cause a number of nematode diseases. Moreover, both wild and cultivated plants are susceptible to infection. When this parasite appears in the soil, poor germination is noted, as well as a slowdown in the growth and development of seedlings. Such crops bloom very weakly, and some of them die, never bearing fruit. With severe infection, a complete loss of crop is possible.

The source of food for soil nematodes are plant juices, which they suck from the roots. In this case, the harm is double: the culture weakens due to the insufficient functioning of the root system and becomes much more susceptible to infection by fungi, bacteria and viruses, which can easily penetrate the body of the plant through damaged sections of the roots.

As a result of parasitization of soil nematodes, the rhizome begins to branch strongly, and the new roots will be very thin - filiform (this phenomenon is called the root beard), small roots rot, galls form in the lesion sites, tissues in this area swell and acquire a yellowish-brown hue, ulcers appear . After a while, the root completely dies.

Important! It should be noted that gall formations will not always indicate infection with nematodes.Some plants, for example, chlorophytum, have oblong swollen areas on the roots, which contain a supply of nutrients and moisture. They are painted in a light, sometimes almost white color, others can be the same shade as the roots. However, these are not galls! It is important to remember that the shade of galls caused by the nematode is always yellow or brown!

If we talk about the external signs of infection with soil nematode, then they appear in the painful form of plants, as in acute lack of moisture and nutrition. Culture weakens, its leaves begin to curl gradually.

How to deal with the root nematode

How to cure the earth from a nematode? In order to destroy the pest, it is necessary to know which conditions are most favorable for it and in which it dies. Active propagation of this root parasite occurs at a temperature of +18 ... 24 ° C and a substrate humidity of 40 ... 60%. In such conditions, the full development cycle takes no more than 4 weeks. And if temperature and humidity will be at such a level for a long time, then in one year the soil nematode will be able to give 5-6 generations.
In order to stop the spread of the nematode in the garden plot, it is necessary, first of all, to observe crop rotation. And since these parasites are able to feed only on a particular plant, their reproduction will be stopped. However, the crop rotation scheme should be constructed in such a way that the affected plant does not appear on the infected area for 3-4 years. During this period of time, the root nematode should die.

On a note! Even in the absence of a host plant, the nematode can remain viable for several years!

The fight against some types of nematodes may consist in drying the soil. This procedure is easy to carry out if the parasite has been detected on indoor plants or seedlings. And for its destruction it is enough to scatter the substrate with a thin layer and wait until it completely dries. And in order to prevent the defeat of potted plants and seedlings, only clean land purchased in a garden store should be used for them. Taking the substrate from the garden or garden is highly discouraged.

Folk recipes

Experienced gardeners suggest using folk remedies for nematodes, which are based solely on natural components.

• Hot water treatment. We dig up infected plants, wash the rhizomes from the ground and put them in water, the temperature of which should be from 48 to 55 ° C. You can keep the bush in water for 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the degree of damage. Adults will die at a temperature of about 40 ° C, water must be hotter to kill the eggs.
  

  Important! Just do not heat the water too much. Remember that the maximum limit is + 55 ° C. Otherwise, you simply cook the plant and it will die!

• Urea with potato sprouts. This tool helps to lure the larvae from cysts, after which they die. To prepare it, you need to take a kilo of potato sprouts and pass them through a meat grinder. The resulting mass is poured with a bucket of water (10 l). The consumption of the finished product is 10 l per 100 m². In the spring on 1 m² I spend 50 g of urea, in the fall - from 100 to 250 g.
• Infusion of marigolds. Prepare it from a kilo of crushed raw materials soaked in a bucket of water. After 2 days of infusion, the product is filtered and used to water the infected beds.
• Infusion of poisonous hogweed. Fill a kilo of grass with a bucket of water and leave it warm for a day. Mix and filter. Only it should be remembered that this plant is very poisonous, and therefore it is necessary to prepare the infusion and apply it with gloves.
• Infusion of calendula officinalis. For a liter of water we take a tablespoon of dried raw materials and insist for a day. The finished product can be used to protect the soil from the nematode, watering the plants twice a month, as well as for treatment - treatment in this case is carried out several times with a weekly interval.
• Onion infusion.It is necessary to take 400 g of onion, chop and pour a bucket of water. After a day, the infusion is filtered and watered the infected beds 2-3 times with a seven-day interval.
• Nasturtium is big. We take 250-300 g of raw materials and insist in five liters of water throughout the day. We filter the finished solution and use it to water the affected culture. We process plants 2-3 times with a weekly interval.

With serious infection, it is the hot treatment with ordinary water that gives good results. However, this method is very time-consuming, especially if many plants are infected. Many gardeners in this case prefer to simply cut off the damaged roots. However, you should not get carried away with this procedure much, since for the culture itself it is stressful - plants can not always gain enough strength to form new healthy roots.

Chemicals

From the nematode, chemical preparations are used that belong to the group of nematocides. Among them:

• “Lindane” (“Ruskamin”);
• "Heterophos";
• "Mercaptophos";
• "Fosfamtid."

The listed preparations are used for spraying the affected plantings. In this case, the treatment must be carried out 2-3 times at intervals of 3 to 5 days.

Important! Chemicals are not able to destroy eggs, because their chitinous membrane is too dense. Therefore, remember that when the action of the drug is over, the parasites will hatch and continue to destroy the plants. This suggests that a single treatment will not be enough even with weak soil contamination!

Siderata

Siderats such as:

• marigold;
• peas;
• Vika;
• beans;
• rank;
• soybeans;
• the beans.

You can also use small-fruited legumes, for example, lupine, clover and alfalfa. However, they are much less effective against larvae.

It is necessary to sow siderata taking into account a certain density - about 160-180 seeds per 1 m². In this case, the gaps between the plants should be at least 5 cm. Before planting green manure, the site must be thoroughly cleaned of plant debris and wait a while. The larger the gap, the more effective this agricultural technique will be.

On a note! This density of plantings is due to the fact that the larva of the soil nematode moves extremely slowly and can cover a distance of no more than 5 cm in one month. As for the interval between the collection of leaves and the planting of green manure, it is necessary so that the soil remains fewer viable individuals possible!

The life expectancy of some types of soil nematodes is about 18 days. At the same time, the air temperature should average about +26 ... 28 ° C. Given this fact, it is possible to determine the most optimal timing for the disembarkation of siderates. For example, in central Russia, Western Siberia and the Urals, the first time in September is considered the best time to hold this event. Siderates in these conditions grow and develop very well, and the parasite development cycle at the same time significantly lengthens. As a result, the eggs do not have time to properly form.

But for reliability, a week after the green manure is planted, all healthy plants must be dug up and the soil filled with compost and, if possible, steamed. And before laying the seedlings, it is recommended to shed the substrate with the drug Narcissus.

It is advisable to sow cultivars twice, so you can destroy about 80% of the nematode larvae. But even a year after the use of siderates in this area, it is necessary to grow crops that are characterized by resistance to gall nematodes.

Recommendation! And in order not to waste time in vain, some crops, for example, tomatoes, can be grown using low-volume technology - in bags, trays or buckets filled with nutritious soil. In this case, they will not contact the contaminated land and will give a good harvest!

It is strictly forbidden to cultivate cucumbers in such a plot, since at the moment hybrids resistant to the nematode of this crop have not yet been bred. For them, only low-volume technology is possible, which allows you to isolate plants from the affected substrate.

And the last thing I want to draw your attention to is the reproduction of plants that grew in infected soil. It is strictly forbidden to use them, even vegetatively. And never place unverified crops near healthy ones.

Remember, when a nematode is found in the soil, the fight against them must be complex. Use folk recipes, chemicals if necessary, observe the correct crop rotation and do not forget about green manure. A competent approach to solving the problem will allow you to get rid of this dangerous pest on your site once and for all. Have a good harvest!