Nematology-status and prospects: practical implementation of quantitative approaches to nematology.

The main components of the decision process in nematode pest management are the value of the predicted damage and the cost of the management alternative. The relationships involved are affected by such environmental parameters as soil texture and physiographic region. There is a general intuitive understanding of the nature of the relationships and of the effects of the environmental parameters. Some nematode damage functions have been developed through quantitative research. A conceptual framework is developed herein which promotes rational use of available experimental results, supplemented by intuitive understanding of nematodes and crops, in arriving at a pest management decision. Gaps in available data point the need for additional research within the framework. The approach allows and encourages immediate implementation. Interactive computer programs are seen as a potential vehicle for weighting the variables involved in the decision and for storing, manipulating, and delivering the necessary data funcand information.