Populations of Criconemella xenoplax on Peach Interplanted with Certain Herbaceous Plants

Peach trees growing in field microplots infested with Criconemella xenoplax were interplanted with centipedegrass, goosegrass, sicklepod, marigold, buckhorn plantain, showy crotalaria, or perennial ryegrass, or left with weed-free soil as the control. Buckhorn plantain reduced nematode numbers, but not to levels acceptable for commercial control. Marigold, sicklepod, and goosegrass reduced nematode numbers on some sampling dates but not on others. Other plants had no effect or appeared to stimulate populations. In greenhouse tests, no plants clearly suppressed the nematode population, but all reduced the growth of peach seedlings.