The Plant-Nematode Problem of the American Tropics

Abstract

This article deals with the nematode problem of the American Tropics, and is a compilation of the late Dr. G. Steiner's notes by Edna M. Buhrer. According to Steiner, the apparent rapid exhaustion of tropical soils under cultivation is not a depletion in mineral and organic elements, but a condition in which the world of organisms which these soils harbor, particularly nematodes, plays an important part. In spite of the importance of these organisms, very little attention has been given to them. The presence of nematodes in all agricultural lands, and wherever plants grow and vegetation occurs, is an established fact. This has been shown for such crops as pineapple, sugarcane, and others. Since early years the shifting of cultivation has been practiced in the American Tropics. Although its effects have been almost completely overlooked, now its significance is known as a means of reducing and avoiding the effect of soil pests, particularly of noxious nematodes.