Damaging nematodes are never uniformly distributed across a field. These nematode damaged areas are usually circular or irregularly shaped and range in size from a few feet to several acres. Nematode-damaged peanut foliage. Severely stunted peanut vines. Galls, which may be several times the normal root diameter in size, form on the roots of peanut at each site attacked by a juvenile peanut root-knot nematode.
Galls also form on pegs and pods of peanut.
Elongated, swollen, wartlike growths often appear on heavily infested roots, pegs, and pods. Heavily galled pegs often rot and then break when the peanuts are dug, leaving numerous pods scattered across the soil surface. Heavily galled pods also rot. Severe galling and early pod rot on peanut damaged by the peanut root-knot nematode. Fibrous root development of peanut is greatly reduced by the peanut root-knot, lesion, and ring nematodes.