Reaction of Winter Cover Crops to and Glasshouse Bioassay for Evaluating Utility in Managing in Soybeans.

is an invasive and highly aggressive root-knot nematode pathogen impacting the Southeastern United States. Winter cover cropping may be a cost-effective method for reducing populations of in between summer cash crops, yet a gap in the knowledge remains about the response of these cover crops to and their utility in suppressing nematode populations prior to a cash crop. A "two-step" glasshouse bioassay was performed to evaluate eight winter cover crops popular in North Carolina for their direct response to infection, and to quantify their effect in reducing nematode populations for the following soybean plants. Data on cover crop root galling, soybean root galling, soybean shoot fresh weight, soybean root fresh weight, eggs per gram of soybean root, and a modified reproductive factor were collected. Cereal cover crops did not display root galling, and there was significantly less root galling in those soybean plants following cereal winter cover crops when compared to those following broadleaf winter cover crops. Broadleaf winter cover crops resulted in significantly higher eggs per gram of soybean root and modified reproductive factor in the soybean plants, compared to cereal cover crops and non-inoculated controls. Results from this study suggest that cereal winter cover crops may be poor-hosts to and may significantly reduce populations before a soybean crop, compared to broadleaf winter cover crops. This study lays the groundwork for management recommendations and future field trials to assess management of through winter cover cropping.