Genetic variation in plants can influence the community structure of associated species, through both direct and indirect interactions. Herbivorous insects are known to feed on a restricted range of plants, and herbivore preference and performance can vary among host plants within a species due to genetically based traits of the plant (e.g., defensive compounds). In a natural system, we expect ...

Spatial patterns of Meloidogyne incognita, Tylenchorhynchus claytoni, Helicotylenchus dihystera, and Criconemella ornata were analyzed using Hill's two-term local quadrat variance method (TTLQV), spectral analysis, and spatial correlation. Data were collected according to a systematic grid sampling plan from seven tobacco fields in North Carolina. Different estimates of nematode cluster size we...

In a survey of plant-parasitic nematodes associated with agricultural crops in nine Maine counties, 744 soil samples from 26 potential host plants were analyzed between November 1987 and January 1989. The most commonly encountered nematode genus was Pratylenchus, occurring in 85% of the samples from most crops, except blueberries and onions. Pratylenchus penetrans and P. crenatus were found com...

RNA trafficking in plants contributes to local and long-distance coordination of plant development and response to the environment. However, investigations of mobile RNA identity and function are hindered by the inherent difficulty of tracing a given molecule of RNA from its cell of origin to its destination. Several methods have been used to address this problem, but all are limited to some ex...

Evidence is emerging that plant-parasitic nematodes can secrete effectors to interfere with the host immune response, but it remains unknown how these effectors can conquer host immune responses. Here, we depict a novel effector, MjTTL5, that could suppress plant immune response. Immunolocalization and transcriptional analyses showed that MjTTL5 is expressed specifically within the subventral g...

Restrictions on the use of conventional nematicides have increased the need for new methods of managing plant-parasitic nematodes. Consequently, nematode-antagonistic microbes, and active compounds produced by such organisms, are being explored as potential additions to management practices. Programs in this area at the USDA Agricultural Research Service investigate applied biocontrol agents, n...