Statement of Issues and Justification:

The need. The Northeast Region has a great diversity of economically significant plants that are susceptible to yield and quality damage caused by a broad array of plant-pathogenic nematodes. In addition, bacterial- and fungal-feeding nematodes are important organisms for nutrient cycling, essential for plant growth and development. There are, however, very few nematologists in the Region with formal Extension or other outreach responsibilities. For the research results associated with this project to be adopted by crop/plant producers, agribusiness professionals, government agency policy and Extension educators, it is imperative for the project to have a strong, dynamic and modern system of education, facilitation and persuasion designed to enhance the socio-economic and environmental future of agriculture, ornamental and recreational sectors of the region.

Root-knot, lesion and dagger nematodes are important plant-parasites and pathogens that continue to cause substantial crop suppression and losses on important agronomic and horticultural crops grown in the northeastern United States. These soilborne plant pathogens frequently require implementation of varying management practices, often on an annual basis. Soil applications of chemical nematicides continue to be used as the primary method for nematode management, especially on high value vegetable and fruit crops, however, they may not be available or practical for a number of crops. Members of NE-1040 have made significant progress in identifying alternative nematode management options for fruits such as apples, peaches, strawberries, and vegetables including beans, carrots, onions, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes, and others, based on using nematode suppressive cover and rotational crops, biofumigants, resistant cultivars, and effective biological control agents, such as Pasteuria penetrans and P. thornei. In addition, the group has made progress in assessing the impact of selected cultural production practices on the diversity of nematode community structure at the trophic level and the nature of nematode communities. This research approach requires significant additional research and integration into overall sustainable soil health management programs.

Intensive production of agronomic and horticultural crops in the northeastern region has resulted in a gradual deterioration of soil quality contributing to reduced yield and profitability. The method of ‘intensifying’ agricultural production is a matter of debate. Since the Green Revolution, the focus has been on intensive use of inputs (seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides) to maximize productivity.  This approach has had negative impacts on human health and the environment (Chappell and Lavalle, 2011; Bommarco et al.,2013). What we are proposing is ecological or sustainable intensification where agricultural systems are managed to increase productivity without adverse environmental impact and without conversion of additional non-agricultural land (Pretty and Bharucha 2014). Production of food, environment and human health are interdependent and not mutually exclusive.  It has also become obvious that increasing inputs and the intensity of production practices, such as tillage, are no longer effective in attaining and maintaining profitable crop yields.  Causes of poor soil quality include: soil compaction, crusting, low organic matter content, increased pressure from soilborne plant pathogens, insects and weeds, and lower density and diversity of soil food-web organisms (often referred to as beneficial soil organisms).  Growers, extension educators and researchers now realize the need for the implementation of practical and sustainable soil management programs to improve soil productivity and farm profitability.  These concepts of soil health and biologically based agriculture involve the integration and optimization of soil physical, chemical and also biological factors for improved soil function (productivity) in an economically and environmentally compatible manner.  Several multi-disciplinary soil health teams in the United States and abroad have been established to address soil health degradation issues and to develop holistic and long-term sustainable solutions.  Significant progress has been made to date, including the development of cost-effective protocols for assessing the status of soil health, increasing soil health literacy, facilitating soil health demonstrations by growers, and promoting multi-disciplinary research and outreach.  Although nematodes have been used as comprehensive biological models for all of science and nematodes have recently been utilized as important biological indicators of soil health, comparatively little is known about the relationships between soil health and management of plant-pathogenic nematodes. There is an immediate need to assess the impact of soil health interventions, and the use of biological control organisms and plant resistance on nematode community structure dynamics.  Further, research is required to integrate nematode management recommendations into soil health management programs designed for specific agronomic and horticultural production systems.  The expansion of the soil health and biological components of this project are, in part, in response to suggestions made by the Northeast Directors in their review of the previous multistate project.  Thus, we propose to address these needs in a new, five-year multistate project with a focus on developing biologically based nematode management practices that are not only compatible with overall soil health management practices, but are designed as integral components of these systems.

Stakeholder priorities that emphasize the need for this research identified through the National IPM Road Map and Northeast IPM priorities include: increased emphasis on bio-based pest management; developing alternative (non-chemical) pest management systems; the synergism of IPM programs with organic or biological control programs; the development of new generation low-risk suppression tactics including biological control and products of traditional breeding and biotechnology; as well as the creation and dissemination of educational guidelines for use of biological and cultural mgmt tactics.

Importance of work and consequences if not done. United States consumers demand high quality, readily available and inexpensive food and fiber. For this to be achieved by northeastern producers of agronomic and horticultural crops, it is imperative that sustainable soil health systems be maintained, or in some cases, restored. Nematodes play three critical roles in this challenge: (i) the occurrence of high population densities of plant-pathogenic nematodes results in low yields of poor quality produce, makes farming less profitable and is a key component of poor quality soil; (ii) bacterial- and fungal-feeding nematodes are key components of soil food webs and are essential for optimal plant nutrition; and (iii) nematode community structure assessment has become recognized as an important tool for measuring soil quality. Northeastern farmers are very interested in management of plant-pathogenic nematodes, the sustainability of soil health, soil quality restoration and having significantly improved nematode and soil management tools. Modern science recognizes nematodes as the most prominent group of animals on our planet. An understanding of the role of nematodes in how northeastern ecosystems work is essential for appropriate decision-making in regards to the overall environmental health and human quality of life for the region. The Regional Research System forms the foundation for nematologists from academia and USDA to work together on common research and education initiatives of significance to the region. Neither the private sector nor government has the nematology resources to fulfill this critical need.

Technical feasibility of work. The following three items strongly defend the feasibility of the proposed work: 1) Milestones in the current project have been consistently met and the proposed project builds on this previous work. The progress made by the researchers associated with the current NE-1040 Multistate Research Project is a strong indication that plant-pathogenic nematodes can be managed in a reliable manner with cultural management tactics based on host resistance, nematode antagonistic rotation or cover crops, soil amendments, and biological agents, 2) the roles of bacterial-and fungal-feeding nematodes in plant nutrition have been validated in several laboratories and technology has been developed for the use of nematode community structure assessment for analysis of soil quality, and 3) several members of the NE-1040 currently work closely with sustainable soil health management teams and have been involved with grower education, train-the trainer programs and agribusiness workshops. Currently the biggest challenge for Objective 3 is to identify a coordinator for the last four years of the project, a high quality webmaster and an appropriate site for the server. Professor Bird of Michigan has agreed to coordinate Objective 3 for 2017. Both University of Florida and Michigan State University are in the process of filling Applied Nematology-Extension positions. URI is slated to hire a Soil Health biologist in 2017. Objective 3. of the NE Regional Nematology Research Project should be an ideal 2018-2021 leadership focal point for one or more of these individuals.

Advantages of a multistate effort. The diverse and complex nature of Northeastern agriculture and its associated poly-specific nematode communities offer challenges that are correspondingly diverse and complex. Nematology, however, is only represented by a very small number of scientists, especially in the Northeast. To achieve the objectives of this project, it is imperative that these individuals have the opportunity to work together as team members of a multistate research project. With current limited nematology personnel and resources, it would not be possible to achieve the objectives of this proposed project if pursued on an individual agricultural experiment station basis. For example, NE-1040 is currently sponsoring a Nematology short course for agri-business that addresses the role of nematodes in crop losses and nematode management with rotation and cover crops as well as breeding plants for resistance to nematodes. No one scientist could develop or present such a program. In addition, interaction through the multistate project has led to a number of grant proposals and successful projects by project participants that leverage addition support dollars for needed research.

The NE regional nematology project forms a strong multistate foundation for nematologists from academia and USDA to work together on common research and education initiatives of significance to the overall well-being of the region. Private sector enterprises and government agencies do not have the nematology resources and institutional structures necessary to fulfill this critical need in a satisfactory manner. The NE regional nematology research project has provided nematology leadership for the region since its inception in 1954.

Impacts of work. The proposed multistate research project will: 1) enhance the economic viability of farms by saving costs associated with nematicide usage and 2) change the behaviors of farmers through extension and outreach to result in increased integrated management of nematodes, thereby increasing sustainable soil health of small, medium and large farms throughout the northeastern region. In addition, farmers will have an increased overall understanding about the nature of nematodes, the damage they can cause, and the key roles that these animals have in soil food webs. There will also be significant new knowledge added to the science of nematology.