Current nematode threats to Brazilian agriculture

Abstract

Since the description of the first species of a root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne exigua, causing extensive losses on coffee crops at Rio de Janeiro State, 19th century ending, nematological problems have been emerged on different crops in Brazil, causing high losses for economic important commodities, as coffee, sugarcane and soybean. The current intensified use of agricultural lands in Brazil is only one of the causes of this constant problem. Therefore, it will be discussed in this review the current nematological problems to Brazilian agriculture, the losses and damages associated, as well as a brief historic and future prospect of emergent nematode species.