Is this root knot nematode?

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brackishfigger

Registered:1366681613
Posts: 270

Posted 1373042434	Reply with quote #1

I dug up eight small rooted layers/suckers around a fig tree this spring that the owner described as a yellow/white good for fresh eating. They are in pots and rank in size from 6" to 2'. I have had no luck in grafting it to my frankenfig, and today I got a wild hair and thought I'd try again using a whole plant, one of the little ones, and incorporate some roots along the far end of a bark graft. Up on desoiling the plant, I think I saw why the parent tree had looked so forlorn, RKN Is it RKN? The plants were collected bare root, and are confined to pots, originally with uncontaminated soil, but surely runoff has contaminated the surrounding soil by now. Agree? Is there anything I can do in any case now to prevent the whole yard from eventual contamination? Can I take cuttings of the above-ground portions of these plants, dispose of the soil, and root/graft RKN-free trees? ie, is the above ground portion of the trees uncontaminated? thanks!

americanfiglover

Registered:1236649731
Posts: 643

Posted 1373042817	Reply with quote #2

Take cutting and re-root and destroy the soil in the pots. You can throw it away or if you want to reuse it nuke it. __________________ Jarrett Spokane, WA ZONE 6A Proudly Serving in the United States Armed Forces, 2009-Present Everyone should have a green thumb Figs: Nero600m

Tonycm

Registered:1314411773
Posts: 922

Posted 1373043181	Reply with quote #3

I would plant it in a pot, then do an air layer. Once the air layer is growing good remove it from the parent tree then destroy the infected tree, soil and all. If you are going to reuse the pots I would wash them out with hot water and let them dry a few days or better yet put them aside and use them next year to be safe. __________________ Zone 6a Sarver, PA Wish list; Rafed's Genovese Nero

brackishfigger

Registered:1366681613
Posts: 270

Posted 1373044241	Reply with quote #4

Were I to go through with my plan to graft the pictured plant into my big tree, roots and all, would the big tree be contaminated, or is RKN strictly a soil-borne, root-harbored disease? This is theorectical, as I likely wouldn't take the chance anyway. Just curious.

americanfiglover

Registered:1236649731
Posts: 643

Posted 1373044583	Reply with quote #5

RKN are worms that live in the roots. If you cut open one of the root knots you should see tiny tiny worms come out. They live in the roots. Taking a cutting or air-layering won't transfer them to the new tree. __________________ Jarrett Spokane, WA ZONE 6A Proudly Serving in the United States Armed Forces, 2009-Present Everyone should have a green thumb Figs: Nero600m

brackishfigger

Registered:1366681613
Posts: 270

Posted 1373044916	Reply with quote #6

Right, but If I were to graft the pictured specimen into a large host tree, incorporating the root into the graft, would the nematodes survive and spread within the tree? Just a question about the nature of the nematodes themselves. A very different question is whether use of the root increases/decreases/indifferent in determining the likely success a graft, which is what I set out to find out in the first place before the RKN discovery.

brackishfigger

Registered:1366681613
Posts: 270

Posted 1373045157	Reply with quote #7

I will be air layering the two trees large enough to do so, and try rooting cuttings and grafting the rest. Thanks

americanfiglover

Registered:1236649731
Posts: 643

Posted 1373045286	Reply with quote #8

They could maybe spread within the tree's water vascular tunnels. They will most likely end up back in the roots. I think the actaully nematode is too big, but the eggs might make it. I wouldn't try it at all. Would you take a diseased organ for a organ transplant? Hopefully someone who is an expert on grafting will comment. __________________ Jarrett Spokane, WA ZONE 6A Proudly Serving in the United States Armed Forces, 2009-Present Everyone should have a green thumb Figs: Nero600m

brackishfigger

Registered:1366681613
Posts: 270

Posted 1373054125	Reply with quote #9

Done and done with the air layering I one-cut girdled (did not remove bark) and scuffed up this one The cut pot allowed me to sneak the whole plant in without removing any leaves. You can see one of the scrapes at the to of the leaf litter added to the botoom to prevent over drainage, then filled with old compost. trimmed the leaves off all three branches of the other one

cis4elk

Registered:1347840383
Posts: 1,718

Posted 1373054987	Reply with quote #10

I have seen trees that have lumpy bumpy bark above the soil line that were infected with RKN. I would inspect the airlayers root system a bit down the road when you up-pot them just to be safe. __________________ Calvin Littleton,CO z5/6 Wants List: For everyone to clean-up after themselves and co-exist peacefully. Let's think more about the future of our planet and less about ourselves. :)

ascpete

Registered:1336096379
Posts: 1,942

Posted 1373055410	Reply with quote #11

brackishfigger, Nice air layer technique. Here's a Website with lots of info on Root Knot Nematodes. And their graphic of the Nematode Life cycle.. Good Luck.

Darkman

Registered:1325731541
Posts: 629

Posted 1373622321	Reply with quote #12

If your galls were on the extremeties could you remove those roots, sanitize the rest and replant in clean medium? Unless there were J2's present you might could save a small plant that might be two small for air layering or would it be better to let it grow out hoping to get it large enough to air layer? __________________ Charles in Pensacola AKA Darkman Zone 8b/9a Winter of 09/10 low 19 Winter of 10/11 low 19 Winter of 11/12 low 29 Winter of 12/13 low 31 Winter of 13/14 low 19

7deuce

Registered:1275528558
Posts: 566

Posted 1373637166	Reply with quote #13

When I did this operation I cleaned the area pretty good and covered the infested soil with turface and some plastic wrap. You have to be careful that the infected soil doesn't splash into the new soil when watering or raining. __________________ Jason V Egg Harbor Twp., NJ/ Zone 7 Wishlist: Nothing.

brackishfigger

Registered:1366681613
Posts: 270

Posted 1373639418	Reply with quote #14

I have moved the affected plants/pots to the far end of the drainage of my property, and placed them on pavement. I have ordered the most nematode-toxic marigolds offered at Lee "guardian" to plant around the area the pots had been sitting. I do wonder if a potted plant can be salvaged with fumigants: place a dry cleaning bag around the pot and have at it. Any suggestions on the appropriate toxin?

bullet08

Registered:1284496248
Posts: 6,920

Posted 1373640643	Reply with quote #15

i think RKN is the only thing i'm really worried about when it comes to figs. __________________ Pete Durham, NC Zone 7b "don't talk to me about naval tradition. It's nothing but rum, sodomy and the lash." - sir winston churchill "the problem with socialism is that eventually you run out of other people's money." - the baroness thatcher *** all my figs have FMV/FMD, in case you're wondering. * * and... i don't sell things. what little i have will be posted here in winter for first come first serve base to be shared. no, i'm not a socialist...***

brackishfigger

Registered:1366681613
Posts: 270

Posted 1373641193	Reply with quote #16

Yeah, once an in-ground is infected, the soil is contaminated, I think your done for. . .

brackishfigger

Registered:1366681613
Posts: 270

Posted 1389757169	Reply with quote #17

Just an update on those air layers. All died, getting the bark eaten away by something claiming many of my cuttings, too. All future pots/soil get microwaved prior to use with cuttings!! THe pic show what the dying air layer looks like before it perishes, and the debarked branchs of the other two air layers are coming out to the left of the little pot. Any thoughts on the likely culprit?

Grasa

Registered:1347083219
Posts: 1,819

Posted 1389758863	Reply with quote #18

http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pests/msg1222134928674.html this is from another garden site, but on point. __________________ Grasa Seattle, WA

Rob

Registered:1320245426
Posts: 550

Posted 1389911435	Reply with quote #19

That's what all cuttings look like when they die. What I mean to say is, I don't think it's a critter that munches the bark, which then kills the cutting. The cutting dies, for some reason. Usually some form of rot starts to affect the part in the soil. Many roots may die, bark will soften and decay. Once enough roots die, or the bark decays enough, the cutting can no longer support the water needs of the leaf. So the leaf droops and falls off. By this time the damage is irreversible. If I had to guess a culprit, I'd say too much moisture in the soil. But even in good conditions some cuttings/airlayers will die. __________________ Rob Maryland Zone 7 http://rbfigs.webs.com/

GRamaley

Registered:1357742252
Posts: 791

Posted 1389912387	Reply with quote #20

I've been reading up on soil bacteria and fungus and there are types that go after those nematodes, it will look it up again and get back to you... __________________ Gloria --------------- 7a, maybe 8

pino

Registered:1383190021
Posts: 2,117

Posted 1389916478	Reply with quote #21

Are the nematodes on grape roots the same nematodes? __________________ Pino, zone 6, Niagara, JCJ Acres Wish; Peace on earth and more figs Italian 258, Galicia Negra, Luv, trade suggestions welcome.

WillsC

Registered:1348087628
Posts: 1,698

Posted 1389965698	Reply with quote #22

There are a BUNCH of different kinds of root nematodes. Even on fruit trees if you get a nematode resistant root stock that root will not be resistant to all the RKN just the more common ones. If you happen to live in an area with the more aggressive RKN types......well you have my sympathies.

pino

Registered:1383190021
Posts: 2,117

Posted 1389966258	Reply with quote #23

Thanks Wills. So can nematodes from grapes spread to the figs or vica versa? __________________ Pino, zone 6, Niagara, JCJ Acres Wish; Peace on earth and more figs Italian 258, Galicia Negra, Luv, trade suggestions welcome.

fignutty

Registered:1374034473
Posts: 580

Posted 1390012857	Reply with quote #24

RKN can infect many plants; vegetables, fruits, and more. __________________ Steve in Alpine TX 7b/8a Wish list: Sangue Dolce, Siblawi, Victoria, Emalyn's Purple, Colonel Littman's Black Cross

sergio

Registered:1234733830
Posts: 115

Posted 1390057845	Reply with quote #25

Hello everyone, I have experimented with RKN, and with the help of the good doctor from this forum, I have applied peroxide 2 % to the pots and inground and the results have been super. I have not killed any fig plants only a strawberry plant. No measuring, just go with the feel. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch like the expert says with the inground plants, and you will be fine. Enjoying figs in Cape May Court House NJ.

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