A website from UGA Cooperative Extension

The photo below was one I took in the past in North Carolina. It is shows tomato roots infested with root knot nematode.  These are all common questions that I am receiving at the moment regarding melon. If you have any other questions for me or you need my assistance, Feel free to contact me at the following #s: Office: 229-567-3448 or my cell: 229-313-4147.

  1. Should I sample for nematodes now in the spring?

Answer: I do not recommend spring sampling of nematodes, especially this spring. Over time, nematodes move vertical in the soil. At the moment, they are very deep in the soil. I asked Bob Kemerait after I had received this question several times. He also said he would not sample at the moment either. The best time to sample is in the fall after levels have built up on a crop.

2. Should I put out telone on my watermelon crop?

Answer: Test in the fall to determine nematode levels and treat accordingly. Currently Our threshold for root-knot nematode on all vegetable crops is 1 nematode/100cc of soil. If you have not sampled for nematodes then here is the bottom line. Due to the expense of the watermelon crop and the fact that we most likely can meet our threshold in places across your field, even though it may be a little on the low side for watermelon, I will ere on the side of caution and encourage you to apply telone if possible. I realize that in some cases we may get away with it, but, I am not a big risk taker, especially if you did not sample for nematodes. If you are planting cantaloupe, telone is a no-brainer. I have observed cantaloupe to appear much more susceptible than watermelon to root knot nematode.

3. Can I use other options to replace telone?

The only other labeled option recommended on melons in the UGA pest handbook is Nimitz. I run across situations from time to time where a grower does not want to use telone. In these cases, Nimitz may work for you. There could be products off-label (not saying there are, just doing some theoretical thinking between you and me) that could work in theory but we need to follow the label for several good reasons I can think of. The best reason though, is this………….THE LABEL IS THE LAW.

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