Tuber symptoms of potato rot nematode can be confused with those of common scab, bacterial ring rot and late blight. Definitive diagnosis requires microscopic examination of infected tissue for the presence of potato rot nematode. The potato rot nematode attacks stolons and tubers, entering tubers through lenticels, eyes or the skin adjacent to eyes. The nematode releases large amounts of amylase and protease enzymes that disintegrate starch and protein components of the cell, respectively. As rotting and decaying proceed, the nematode migrates to healthier tissues in the tuber.
Temperature is a major factor influencing activity and development of the potato rot nematode.
Fahrenheit The nematode survives in soils to temperatures as low as -18 degrees Fahrenheit. The reproductive cycles of the potato rot nematode, including the duration of each of the four larval stages, the number of eggs produced by females and nematode longevity, are not well understood. Fahrenheit for the potato rot nematode. A temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit decreases generation time to only 18 days. The potato rot nematode may survive in soil as a free-living organism or on crop and weed hosts.