UF Finds Some Nematodes Like Hemp; First Step to Pest Control for Emerging Crop
For two years, University of Florida scientists across the Sunshine State have studied whether hemp can serve as a viable alternative crop for Florida farmers. One of the first steps to determining the economic feasibility of any crop is managing its known and potential pests. For hemp, that includes nematodes.
The worm-like nematode is ubiquitous in Florida, said Johan Desaeger, a UF/IFAS assistant professor of entomology and nematology. “Root-knot and sting nematodes are considered major limiting factors to crop production in Florida,” said Desaeger, a faculty member at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center.
That’s one reason one of his graduate students did her master’s thesis on the ability of certain hemp cultivars to “host” nematodes. As it turns out, hemp is adept at hosting the microscopic worms. In this case, serving as a good “host” is not an asset. It means that nematodes like to make homes out of hemp, and that can translate to damaging the plant.
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