The leader-enterprise. [volume] (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1912-1915, 1915-03-10
DlvE::RSgFICATION
Stops ROOT KNOT
State Board Of Entomology Tells Of
Disease That Attacks Many H..
Plants.

Atlanta, Ga.-(Special Georgia
cotton planters, especially where the
soil is sandy, haves had considerable
trouble with the disease known as
root knot, caused by, minute eel worms
or nenlatodes, 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 Entomologist E. Lee
Worsham. The crops most severely at
tackled by root knot include soy beans,
beets, eantaloupe, carrots, celery, bur
clover, crimson clever, COW pea (alI
varieties except Iron and Brabham
and other Iron hybrids), cucumber,
eggplant, figs, lettuce, okra, peaches,
pecans, pomegranSte, 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, oollaHd, cotton,
mulberry, onion. garden pea, sweet po-
tate, radtsh, spinach, strawberry, su-
SAr cane, common vetch, hairy veteh.
The male worms are too small to
be seen by the naked eye, but the
female when full of eggs assumes
spherical shape and may be often dis
einguished in freshly broken roots as
glistening bodies hale the size of
pin head. Each female lays several
hundred eggs. Root knot is essentially
a disease Of light or sandy soils. 1t
may be transferred from one field to
another by any agency which will car
ry the Aematode or their eggs. It
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 SUI
fielently reduced SO that crops sus.
eeptlble to them may be probably
grown; and in the second place, the
removal Of all weeds subject to root
knot. The use of crops that will re-
turn q profit and the building up of the
fertility Of the soil are also import
ant considerations. II the land is
very badly infested with nematodes
as we'll as wilt, two OF three year
rotation with immune crops is rec
commended before susceptible crops in
GLIDING cotton are grown In one or
two years thereafter the rotation with
immune crops should be repeated: In
mune crops. alternated with suscepti-
BILE ones, will reduce the nematode in
Jury to 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 ally, KAT
fir, millets (nearly ALL. milo, winter
oats, peanut, rye, sorghum, wheat.
The farmer generally will 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.