ABSTRACT

Plant parasitic nematodes are principally aquatic animals requiring free moisture for activity; they inhabit the moisture films surrounding soil particles and the moist environment of plant tissues. Nearly all plant parasites spend a portion of their life cycle in the soil. Most nematodes are adapted to the subtropical to tropical climates, but some are adapted to the cooler climates of the more northerly and southerly latitudes or to higher elevations. Any climate that supports higher plants will also support a population of plant parasitic nematodes that are similarly adapted to that climate. Like most invertebrate organisms, their level of activity is closely linked to the environmental conditions, especially temperature.