ABSTRACT
Plant-parasitic nematodes must be addressed in crop production and in integrated pest management systems if a sustainable agriculture is to meet world demands for increasing food and fiber production. Theoretically, INM is a holistic systems approach to limit nematode damage to tolerable levels through a combination of tactics and techniques, including parasites and predators, host resistance, cultural practices, environmental modification, and nematicides where appropriate. A number of national and international IPM programs have resulted in many research and extension activities becoming more interdisciplinary. The development of sustainable management strategies must move from the “therapeutic approach”, mostly adopted in research programs carried out in the world, to the “ecological approach”. This approach will seek for information and knowledge about biotic trade-offs in ecosystems, in order to introduce them in agro-systems. In organic agriculture, the management of plant-parasitic nematodes implies crop diversification, rotations with non-host or antagonistic plants, amendments with green manures, and biofumigation methods.
