Nematodes get a bad rap in agriculture, mainly because they fall victim to stereotyping… It is true that root feeding nematodes cause very significant yield losses. As a matter of fact billions of dollars are lost each year in agriculture because of these silent yield-robbers. However, there are many species of nematodes that actually ENHANCE plant growth by pest suppression, nutrient cycling, and even some disease suppression.
There are three main beneficial species that we will briefly discuss in this post. They are bacterial feeders (as pictured above), fungal feeders, and predatory nematodes (they consume other nematodes in the soil, including their favorite food ROOT FEEDERS!).
Bacterial feeding nematodes like to graze on bacteria in the soil. This grazing results in release of substantial amounts of ammonium (NH4+). This is because bacteria are approximately 17% Nitrogen, along with ample amounts of phosphorus, potassium, and a slew of micronutrients, which the nematode will excrete all in plant available forms. This grazing also stimulates the proliferation of N-fixers like Azotobacter, which means even more plant-available N for your crop.
Fungal feeders use a stylet, or sword like mouthpiece to pierce the cell walls of a host fungi and then suck out the internal contents (again, full of nutrients) for food. Fungal feeders will cycle Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Zinc, and Calcium just to name a few nutrients. These nematodes also help maintain the balance of bacteria to fungi in the soil, which is what we are really always wanting to monitor. Remember it is about balance; the soil has it’s own ecosystem, just like a forest, prairie, or tundra does. This predator and prey cycle is nothing new, it is just happening on a microscopic scale in the soil.
Contact us to let us know how we can bring more ROI to your operation.