The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1915-02-18
INVESTIGATION
STOPS ROOT KNOT
state Board or Entomology Tells Of
Disease That Attacks Many
Plants.

Atlanta, Ga. Especial &c Georgia
cotton planters, especially where the
soil is sandy, have had considerable
trouble with the disease known as
root knot, caused by minute eel worms
or nematodes. which bore into the
roots and live there. The irritation Of
their presence results in the formation
OF Irregular swellings or gals, varying
in size from tiny engagements on
the smaller roots to knots an inch or
more in diameter on the large ones.
Unlike wilt, or black root, root knot
attacks very large number of plants,
many Of which are important farm
crops, says State Entomoiogist p. Lee
Worsham. The crops most severely at
tackled by root knot include soy beans,
beets, cantaloupe, carrots, celery, bur
clover, crimson clover COW pea (all
varieties except Iron and Brabham
and other Iron hybrids) cucumber,
eggplant, figs, lettuce, okra, peaches,
pecans, pomegranate, potato, satisfy,
squash, tobacco, tomato, watermelon
Plants less severely injured by root
knot include the following: Alfalfa,
asparagus, lima bean, snap bean, cab
bage, sweet clover, collard, cotton,
mulberry, onion, garden pea, sweet po-
tato, radish, spinach, strawberry, SUI
gar cane, common vetch, hairy vetch.
The male worms are too small to
be seen by the naked eye, but the
female when full Of eggs assumes a
| spherical shape and may be often dis
tinguished in freshly broken roots as
| glistening bodies half the size of a
pin head. Each female lays several
hundred eggs. Root knot is essentially
a disease of light or sandy soils. It
may be transferred from one field to
another by any agency which will car
ry the nematode or their eggs. 1t
may be spread by drainage water or
introduced by nursery stock.
Controlled BY Rotation
1t has been repeatedly demonstrated
by many farmers that root knot can
be controlled by the use of proper
crop rotations. The principles on
which such rotations are based are
the use of crops immune to nematode
attacks until the nematodes are suf-
| ficiently reduced so that crops sus-
ceptibIe to them may be profftably
grown; and in the second place, the
removal of all weeds subject to root
knot. The use of crops that will re
! turn a profit and the building up of the
fertility of the soil are also import
liant considerations. If the land is
very badly infested with nematodes
as well as wilt, two or three year
rotation with immune crops is rec
commended before susceptible crops in,
Guiding cotton are grown. In one OF
two years thereafter the rotation with
immune crops should be repeated. I'M
mune crops, alternated with susceptl
BILE ones, will reduce the nematode in
jury to a minimum
The following crops are largely or
entirely immune to root knot: Barley,
velvet bean, beggar weed, chufas,
corn, Brabham COW pea, Iron COW pea,
Iron hybrid COW pea, bermuda grass,
crab grass, grasses (nearly alp, KAT.
fir. millets (nearly ALL, milo, winter
oats, peanut, rye, sorghum, wheat
The farmer generally viii have to
work out his own problem as to rota.
lions, depending on location, but the
State Board of Entomology will be
/ glad at all times to furnish any pos
sible assistance or information.