It may have symptoms of nutrient deficiencies or wilts rapidly during dry weather. Similar symptoms may be caused by other problems such as poor fertility, lack of moisture, and some diseases. Root sutnting, excessive branching, and even death of roots may occur with some nematodes. These symptoms are not usually adequate to identify nematodes as the major problem, therefore, soil samples must be assayed for nematodes. Also, a soil fertility test is recommended to eliminate nutritional problems as a major factor.
Nematodes are small eel-like worms that are too small to be seen without a microscope.
Nematodes that attack plants have small needle-like stylets which are used to puncture plant cells to obtain nutrients. Different nematode species that attack turfgrasses cause root stunting, death of roots, knots on roots, and some cause no apparent harm, even at high numbers. Nematodes usually do not kill the host plants, but they do increase damage from other stresses, such as drought. If this insect is present, some of the suggestions for reducing nematode damage may be useful. Nematodes that are found most frequently in soil from turfgrasses are ring, stunt, spiral, lance, stubby-root, and sting.