Root Knot (nematode - Meloidogyne incognita acrita): The symptoms caused by root knot vary from slight plant stunting to death in areas of severe infestation. Skippy stands, particularly in distinct areas of a field, are characteristic. In skip-row cotton, where current rows are laid out perpendicular to the previous year's row, stunted cotton outlining the old rows may be noticed. Root knots are small and should be checked on plants dug with a shovel and not those pulled by hand, since pulling plants often results in just the tap root being extracted. Control root knot nematodes by: rotation with sorghum or small grains, and use of in-furrow nematacides (See section on Root knot Nematode).
Nematodes Other Than Root Knot (nematodes - lesion: Pratylenchus sp., spiral: Helicotylenchus sp., lance: Hoplolaimus sp., sting: Benlonolaimus sp., stunt: Tylenchorhynchus sp., reniform: Rotylenchus reniformis): Of these nematodes, reniform is the most important in cotton production in Texas. It has been found in very small numbers in three counties in the High Plains, but it is most prevalent in the Rio Grande Valley area. For more information on these nematodes, see the section entitled, Nematodes Other Than Root Knot
