W5186: Variability, Adaptation and Management of Nematodes Impacting Crop Production and Trade

(Multistate Research Project)

Status: Active

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SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[01/11/2024] [12/24/2024] [02/04/2026]

Date of Annual Report: 01/11/2024

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 11/13/2023 - 11/14/2023
Period the Report Covers: 01/12/2022 - 01/11/2023

Participants

Brief Summary of Minutes

Minutes Attachment:

W4186:W5186 AnnualMeetingMinutes_2023.docx

Accomplishments

Objective 1- characterize genetic and biological variation in nematodes relevant to crop production and trade             Activities in Idaho include an initiative to explore genetic diversity within Globodera spp. Different nematode populations are classified into pathotypes based on their reproductive capacity on specific potato genotypes harboring known resistance genes. The pathotypes of 10 populations from Peru were characterized using a set of potato differential lines containing different resistance genes. One outcome of this research is that, according to the pathotype scheme, the Idaho G. pallida population is pathotype 2/3 (Pa2/3) (Phillips and Blok 2008). The continuous use of resistant potatoes may encourage the emergence of more virulent populations (Varypatakis et al. 2020). It has been shown that cyst nematode resistance derived from Solanum tuberosum spp. andigena is more readily overcome than resistance from S. vernei (Phillips and Blok 2008;  Phillips and Blok 2012). Recent evidence indicates that different individuals within a cyst may exhibit varying virulence traits, possibly contributing to the breakdown of resistance. Other ongoing activities in Idaho involve genetically characterizing samples of Bolivian Globodera spp.  The University of Idaho has set up one experiment in Bolivia to phenotype for resistance to 3 populations of Globodera. An output of this research is that it has equipped Idaho scientists with the ability to identify appropriate sources of resistance that encompass cyst nematode population diversity.             Activities on root-knot nematode (RKN) genomes/transcriptomes have led to insights on the genetic factors governing nematode parasitism and virulence. For example, work at UC Davis centers on two closely related strains of M. javanica (VW4 and VW5), which differ in their ability to parasitize tomato carrying Mi-1.  The tomato gene Mi-1 confers resistance to three commonly occurring, damaging species of RKNs (Kaloshian and Teixeira 2019). On susceptible tomato, there is a reduced egg count on VW5-inoculated plants compared to VW4, indicating reduced fitness of the resistance-breaking strain. The previous reference genome M. javanica was not sufficient to allow resolution of the homeologous genomes. An output of the research has been a reference genome for VW4 and VW5 using a combination of HiFi, Hi-C, Iso-seq, and/or NanoPore sequencing. The sequencing data suggest that M. javanica is a hypotetraploid, and VW5 is missing a substantial DNA portion in a subgenome. An outcome of this research is that it lays important groundwork for identifying an avirulence gene in RKNs, a significant breakthrough for RKN research.             Advancements in molecular methods for RKN identification within and between species have also been achieved under this objective (Bogale et al. 2020;  Powers et al. 2017;  Powers et al. 2014). Activities include work on M. chitwoodi, a nematode that infects potato tubers. Transcriptome and genome analyses of M. chitwoodi-infected potato were performed, and an output was the identification of nematode parasitism genes (i.e. effector genes) that facilitate infections of potato (Zhang and Gleason 2021). More recently, the glands from M. chitwoodi were isolated for a gland-specific transcriptome analysis, laying the foundation for novel nematode effector identification in the coming year. Additional outputs from the M. chitwoodi genome data include a LAMP assay that can provide a quick DNA-based detection method for potato-infecting root-knot nematodes (Zhang and Gleason 2019) and a molecular beacon assay that allows researchers to easily distinguish between M. chitwoodi, M. minor, and M. fallax (Anderson and Gleason 2023). Within the M. chitwoodi species, three major populations (Race 1, Race 2, and Roza) exist in the Pacific Northwest, varying in virulence and host range. An output of the research has been that PCR markers were developed based on the genetic variability between these races, allowing scientists to determine that Race 1 and Roza were the predominant strains in Eastern Washington (Hu et al. 2023).              Other major outputs include advances in nematode identification by molecular ‘barcoding’ approaches. Ongoing activities in the working group aim to refine and define the conditions and limitations of DNA barcoding using the COI mitochondrial gene. A major outcome from the group was a DNA barcoding reference database called NemaTaxa was developed as a comprehensive reference database of nematodes in US agriculture (Baker et al. 2023). Moreover, work conducted in Nebraska supports a field device for rapid identification of cyst nematode juveniles, accelerating the time of species identification and reducing diagnostic expenses. Another output from this objective involves developing a metabarcoding approach for entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) identification from soil communities. Tests are underway to convert the current Sanger sequencing approach of DNA barcoding to a community-based method applicable to numerous nematode specimens in a single analysis (Gendron et al. 2023).             Continued activities in detecting and diagnosing plant parasitic nematodes provides valuable management insights to regional agricultural communities. With regards to nematodes as environmental indicators, researchers in Nebraska are working on a set of soil samples that were affected by a major contamination event associated with an ethanol production facility. An outcome of this work is the crucial understanding of measurable disturbances in nematode communities within soil health due to environmental contamination.             Final Outcomes: Studies of the genetic diversity and virulence of nematodes led to the development of innovative molecular tools for nematode detection, offering practical solutions for managing nematode infestations and preserving crop health. Additionally, the advancements in nematode identification methodologies and their role as environmental indicators enhanced agricultural sustainability and soil management practices.   Objective 2: nematode adaptation processes to hosts, agro-ecosystems and environments              Research activities at UC-Riverside are heavily focused on developing and analyzing resistance traits against RKNs in both carrot and cowpea. One of the outputs from W-4186 researchers is that they found resistance markers against M. hapla in the carrot cultivar “Homs.” However, the specific avirulence gene(s) of M. hapla involved in this interaction still need to be pinpointed. Nevertheless, an outcome from identifying natural host resistance traits is their promise for adoption in plant breeding programs. Another outcome from the cowpea genome work in this project has been the identification of root-knot nematode resistance traits on four of the 11 cowpea chromosomes (Lonardi et al. 2019;  Ndeve et al. 2019). Specifically, single resistance traits were found for resistance to M. javanica and or M. incognita on chromosomes 1, 3 and 11 (Lonardi et al. 2019). Notably, when nematodes are cultured on resistant cowpea, there was a  rapid selection for virulence (Petrillo et al. 2006). An output of this data is the observation of fluctuation in nematode populations upon the deployment of resistant cowpea.             Activities from W-4186 scientists at UC Davis include experiments on the Mi-resistance breaking M. javanica strain VW5. The VW5 nematode is less fit on susceptible crops than the avirulent M. javanica strain VW4. This discovery indicates that the acquisition of virulence in nematodes can be detrimental in the absence of resistance. This insight bears significant implications for the strategic deployment of resistant tomato cultivars.              Nematode adaptation processes studied in this objective have also included how nematodes spread and adapt to new environments. An outcome of previous research in this project has been a demonstration of how snails and slugs were associated with at least 6 genera of plant-parasitic nematodes, potentially spreading the nematodes to new environments. In terms of finding nematodes in new environments, there have been major outcomes regarding nematode first reports. Activities in this area include surveys that have established a first report of Ditylenchus dipsaci in alfalfa in NM, alfalfa cyst nematode (Heterodera medicaginis) in KS, MT and UT, cactus cyst nematode (Cactodera cacti) in ID and Co, and Cactodera milleri from Quinoa fields in CO (Powers et al. 2019). An expansion of the NM identified an Anguinidae (new species) associated with displacement of native grasses by invasive plant species. The University of Hawaii conducted surveys on native plants in areas surrounding their campus to assess susceptibility to root-knot and reniform nematodes. Their findings suggested that the native plant Ipomoea appeared to be a good host, whereas most native plants seemed to be poor hosts for these nematodes.             Additional outputs from research in this Objective include novel data connecting changes in landscape usage,  nematode communities, and soil health across various geographical regions. It is believed that nematode adaptation within agroecosystems is influenced by a combination of agricultural practices (APs) and alterations in biophysicochemical conditions within these systems. Activities include soil health assessments that are being conducted near Mead Nebraska, at the site of a major contamination event occurred during the course of a commercial enterprise developed to extract ethanol from unsold treated seed. Ongoing studies aim to assess the impact of applying 1,900 tons of "wetcake" solid waste to fields within the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center. Lastly, Michigan State University (MSU) researchers have participated in activities in which they have applied the soil food web (SFW) model to establish that M. hapla presence in mineral and muck soils was associated with either disturbed and/or degraded soil health conditions (Lartey et al. 2021), and populations with higher pathogenic variability (PV) came from degraded mineral soils (Lartey et al. 2022). Collectively, these results provide a significant outcome: a foundation for an in-depth understanding of the environment where M. hapla exists, conditions associated with PV, and designing suitable management strategies.             Final Outcomes: New data was obtained on how nematodes adapt to different hosts, agro-ecosystems, and environments. Our investigations have uncovered significant levels of nematode adaptation, particularly in their ability to parasitize resistant host plants, thrive in diverse soil conditions, and spread to new areas.   Objective 3: Developing and assessing nematode management strategies in agricultural production systems             Activities under this objective have focused on four major themes: 1) novel biotechnology, 2) resistance and cropping systems, 3) biological controls and nematicides, and 4) decision-making models that translate complex biophysicochemical changes in the oil food web (SFW) into practical application.             Biotechnology offers new approaches to nematode control and will reduce the reliance on nematicides, which are often expensive and damaging to human health and the environment. For example, activities from researchers at UC-Riverside include screening a panel of rice varieties for nematode resistance. By using ‘omics technologies, one of the outcomes is that they are able to link the expression of rice fitness/defense related genes to a nematode resistance phenotype. Using “omics” for developing nematode management has been a long-standing strategy for this working group. New molecular nematologists have joined W-4186 (now W-5186) in Indiana, Arkansas, and Wisconsin to continue to study the “omics” of plant responses to nematode parasitism.             In addition to biotechnology to generate new nematode control tools, there are several examples in the working group highlighting research in nematode-cropping systems. Researchers in Alabama have performed activities around new cotton cultivars and their responses to M. incognita and R. reniformis infections. Their studies on resistant and susceptible cotton varieties with additions of seed treatments and in-furrow nematicides have helped to determine what strategies produce the best yield responses. One of the outcomes of this specific research was that the resistant varieties showed significantly increased yield, but the addition of nematicides further enhanced yields of the resistant varieties (Turner et al. 2023).             In Idaho, cropping systems using a combination of resistant varieties and trap crops are being developed for control of G. pallida. Idaho specific activities include the assessment of the impact of Solanum sisymbriifolium and quinoa as trap crops for G. pallida. Although S. sisymbriifolium is highly effective as a trap crop, it is not widely adopted due to lack of seed availability.  Quinoa, however, is a grain crop that has commercial value, and some varieties have been found to induce hatch of G. pallida, although at a lower rate than potato or S. sisymbriifolium. The data obtained in this objective will be impactful as quinoa production expands in areas of Idaho that contain G. pallida.             In this objective, many new chemical nematicides have and are being continually tested to develop crop-location-specific management strategies. For example, New Mexico researchers have continued their activities and investigations into the seasonality of M. incognita populations in drip-irrigated, wine-grape vineyards in southern New Mexico. The outcome of this effort will be to develop a management tool tied to growing degree days to aide farmers in determining the most effective timing for chemical control applications. As climate patterns shift, such monitoring may be increasingly important for advising growers on the management of such established pathogens, especially in perennial crops such as grapes. Nematicides offer an effective means of nematode management, and as companies develop new nematicides, it is important to investigate the effectiveness of their formulations or their application methods. Working directly with local commercial producers to evaluate new nematicides in locally relevant cropping systems aids growers in making informed management decisions. For example, in 2023, researchers in Alabama performed activities that looked at the reniform nematode populations on cotton. They evaluated the effects of combining the nematicide seed treatments COPeO (fluopyram), or BIOST Nematicide 100 (heat killed Burkholderia rinojenses) or the nematicide in-furrow Velum (fluopyram) or  AgLogic (aldicarb) with resistant cotton cultivars on nematode population levels and lint yield. As an outcome of this research, it was concluded that having resistant cotton with an application of nematicide reduced the reniform populations more than resistance alone. The lowest reniform numbers were found in the resistant plant combined with the in-furrow nematicide AgLogic treatment, providing cotton growers with hard data to inform how they manage reniform nematode on cotton (Turner et al. 2023).             Organic agriculture is becoming increasingly popular and there is a critical need to study biological control of nematodes and other pests in organic cropping systems.  In organic sweet potato production, one of the major activities has been establishing field trials across the South to determine the effect of selected winter cover crops and biological products in the suppression of nematode and insect pests. The outcomes of the initial trials were varied, but in general, the cover crop mix was associated with higher yield and lower M. incognita populations on sweet potatoes. Entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) can control insect pests, including the sweet potato weevil. Activities on EPN in Hawaii showed that EPNs could control the sweet potato weevil in the lab. In field tests, the EPN were unable to sufficiently abate damage when there was a high sweet potato weevil disease pressure. Many EPN application methods leave EPNs exposed to UV radiation and desiccating conditions but researchers in Hawaii are developing living bombs to address these limitations. EPNs were also being evaluated in corn production systems in five fields in western Nebraska for control of corn rootworm. One of the key outcomes of the Nebraska research has been data showing a low recovery of the commercial EPN product after application in corn.             Changes that occur to soil biophysicochemical conditions due to agricultural practices (application of chemicals, biologicals, etc) can also influence soil health, nematode-host interactions, and the management decisions at many levels. MSU researchers have applied the soil food web model and shown that there are variable soil health outcomes in response to soil amendments and cover crop treatments (Habteweld et al. 2020;  Habteweld et al. 2017;  Habteweld et al. 2022;  Melakeberhan et al. 2021;  Melakeberhan et al. 2018). Two of the outcomes from MSU research have been a novel fertilizer use efficiency (FUE) and an integrated productivity efficiency (IPE) model that identify if soil health outcomes are sustainable and if not, what additional measures are needed to make it sustainable. The FUE and IPE models, the only ones of their kind, provide scientists and growers with integrated decision-making tools to develop and apply sustainable soil health management strategies.             Final Outcomes- Researchers have harnessed biotechnology for nematode control by employing 'omics' technologies, while investigations into nematode-cropping systems underscore innovative management approaches. The continual testing of new chemical nematicides, exploration of biological products, and understanding of soil biophysicochemical conditions emphasize a comprehensive strategy toward sustainable nematode management across various agricultural systems. References cited Anderson, S. D., and Gleason, C. A. 2023. A molecular beacon real-time polymerase chain reaction assay for the identification of M. chitwoodi, M. fallax, and M. minor. Frontiers in Plant Science 14. Baker, H. V., Ibarra Caballero, J. R., Gleason, C., Jahn, C. E., Hesse, C. N., Stewart, J. E., and Zasada, I. A. 2023. NemaTaxa: A new taxonomic database for analysis of nematode community data. Phytobiomes Journal 7:385-391. Dandurand, L. M., Zasada, I. A., Wang, X., Mimee, B., De Jong, W., Novy, R., Whitworth, J., and Kuhl, J. C. 2019. Current status of potato cyst nematodes in North America. Annu Rev Phytopathol 57:117-133. Gendron, E. M., Sevigny, J. L., Byiringiro, I., Thomas, W. K., Powers, T. O., and Porazinska, D. L. 2023. Nematode mitochondrial metagenomics: A new tool for biodiversity analysis. Mol Ecol Resour 23:975-989. Habteweld, A., Kravchenko, A. N., Grewal, P. S., and Melakeberhan, H. 2022. A nematode community-based integrated productivity efficiency (IPE) model that identifies sustainable soil health outcomes: a case of compost application in carrot production. Soil Systems 6:35. Habteweld, A., Brainard, D., Kravchenko, A., Grewal, P., and Melakeberhan, H. 2017. Effects of plant and animal waste-based compost amendments on the soil food web, soil properties, and yield and quality of fresh market and processing carrot cultivars. Nematology 20. Habteweld, A., Brainard, D., Kravchencko, A., Grewal, P. S., and Melakeberhan, H. 2020. Effects of integrated application of plant-based compost and urea on soil food web, soil properties, and yield and quality of a processing carrot cultivar. J Nematol 52. Hu, S., Franco, J., Bali, S., Chavoshi, S., Brown, C., Mojtahedi, H., Quick, R., Cimrhakl, L., Ingham, R., Gleason, C., and Sathuvalli, V. 2023. Diagnostic molecular markers for identification of different races and a pathotype of Columbia Root Knot Nematode. PhytoFrontiers™ 3:199-205. Kaloshian, I., and Teixeira, M. 2019. Advances in plant-nematode interactions with emphasis on the notorious nematode genus Meloidogyne. Phytopathology 109:1988-1996. Lartey, I., Kravchenko, A., Marsh, T., and Melakeberhan, H. 2021. Occurrence of Meloidogyne hapla relative to nematode abundance and soil food web structure in soil groups of selected Michigan vegetable production fields. Nematology 23:1011-1022. Lartey, I., Kravchenko, A., Bonito, G., and Melakeberhan, H. 2022. Parasitic variability of Meloidogyne hapla relative to soil groups and soil health conditions. Nematology 24:983-992. Lonardi, S., Muñoz-Amatriaín, M., Liang, Q., Shu, S., Wanamaker, S. I., Lo, S., Tanskanen, J., Schulman, A. H., Zhu, T., Luo, M.-C., Alhakami, H., Ounit, R., Hasan, A. M., Verdier, J., Roberts, P. A., Santos, J. R. P., Ndeve, A., Doležel, J., Vrána, J., Hokin, S. A., Farmer, A. D., Cannon, S. B., and Close, T. J. 2019. The genome of cowpea (Vigna unguiculata [L.] Walp.). The Plant Journal 98:767-782. Melakeberhan, H., Bonito, G., and Kravchenko, A. N. 2021. Application of nematode community analyses-based models towards identifying sustainable soil health management outcomes: A review of the concepts. Soil Systems 5:32. Melakeberhan, H., Maung, Z., Lee, C.-L., Poindexter, S., and Stewart, J. 2018. Soil type-driven variable effects on cover- and rotation-crops, nematodes and soil food web in sugar beet fields reveal a roadmap for developing healthy soils. European Journal of Soil Biology 85:53-63. Ndeve, A. D., Santos, J. R. P., Matthews, W. C., Huynh, B. L., Guo, Y. N., Lo, S., Muñoz-Amatriaín, M., and Roberts, P. A. 2019. A novel root-knot nematode resistance QTL on chromosome Vu01 in Cowpea. G3 (Bethesda) 9:1199-1209. Nischwitz, C., Skantar, A., Handoo, Z. A., Hult, M. N., Schmitt, M. E., and McClure, M. A. 2013. Occurrence of Meloidogyne fallax in North America, and molecular characterization of M. fallax and M. minor from U.S. golf course greens. Plant Dis 97:1424-1430. Petrillo, M. D., Matthews, W. C., and Roberts, P. A. 2006. Dynamics of Meloidogyne incognita virulence to resistance genes Rk and Rk in Cowpea. J Nematol 38:90-96. Phillips, M., and Blok, V. 2008. Selection for reproductive ability in Globodera pallida populations in relation to quantitative resistance from Solanum vernei and S. tuberosum ssp. andigena CPC2802. Plant pathology 57:573-580. Phillips, M., and Blok, V. 2012. Biological characterisation of Globodera pallida from Idaho. Nematology 14:817-826. Powers, T., Skantar, A., Harris, T., Higgins, R., Mullin, P., Hafez, S., Handoo, Z., Todd, T., and Powers, K. 2019. DNA barcoding evidence for the North American presence of alfalfa cyst nematode, Heterodera medicaginis. J Nematol 51:1-17. Turner, K.A., Graham, S. H., Potnis, N., Brown, S. M., Donald, P., and Lawrence, K. S. 2023. Evaluation of Meloidogyne incognita and Rotylenchulus reniformis nematode-resistant cotton cultivars with supplemental Corteva Agriscience Nematicides. J Nematol 55:20230001. Varypatakis, K., Véronneau, P. Y., Thorpe, P., Cock, P. J. A., Lim, J. T., Armstrong, M. R., Janakowski, S., Sobczak, M., Hein, I., Mimee, B., Jones, J. T., and Blok, V. C. 2020. The genomic impact of selection for virulence against resistance in the potato cyst nematode, Globodera pallida. Genes (Basel) 11. Whitworth, J. L., Novy, R. G., Zasada, I. A., Wang, X., Dandurand, L. M., and Kuhl, J. C. 2018. Resistance of potato breeding clones and cultivars to three Species of potato cyst nematode. Plant Dis 102:2120-2128. Zhang, L., and Gleason, C. 2021. Transcriptome analyses of pre-parasitic and parasitic Meloidogyne chitwoodi Race 1 to identify putative effector genes. J Nematol 53.

Publications

Impact Statements

• Biogeographic information that SFW, FUE and IPE models provide novel approaches to understanding the environment where all host-nematode interactions take place, assessing efficiency of APs in developing the right management strategy on a one-size-fits-all or location-specific basis, minimizing treatments that negatively impact the soil environment, and scaling up across ecoregions.

Date of Annual Report: 12/24/2024

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 11/07/2024 - 11/08/2024
Period the Report Covers: 01/01/2024 - 12/24/2024

Participants

Siddique, Shahid (University of California-Davis)
Hodson, Amanda (University of California-Davis)
Gleason, Cynthia (Washington State University)
Lawrence, Kathy (Auburn University)
Melakeberhan, Haddish (Michigan State University)
Groen, Simon “Niels” (University of California-Riverside)
Beacham, Jacqueline (New Mexico State University)
Powers, Thomas (University of Nebraska),
Sipes, Brent (University of Hawaii)
Peter DiGennaro (University of Wisconsin)
Joana “Asia” Kud (University of Arkansas)
Tristan Watson (Louisiana State University)
Paulo Vieira (USDA-ARS, Beltsville)

Brief Summary of Minutes

Brief summary of minutes of annual meeting:

Business Meeting November 7, 2024:

Following group introductions, Dr. Wang, Chair of PEPS, welcomed the group. The meeting started with a unanimous approval of the minutes from the last meeting (moved by Kathy Lawrence and seconded by Brent Sipes). Before moving to state and guest reports, the team extensively discussed the choice of a new Administrative Advisor. The team considered several candidates, including Dean Parwinder Grewal, University of Hawaii, and Dean Paula Aguilar, Clemson, who could be asked to serve in this role.

State Reports:

Paulo Vieira (MD) discussed the characterization of the genome, transcriptome, and effector-encoding genes of the root lesion nematode Pratylenchus fallax, a plant-parasitic nematode of economic significance in several crops.

Tristan Watson (LA) discussed the significance and distribution of the reniform and root-knot nematodes in sweet potato as well as the results of studies testing resistant cultivars and nematicides that include Telone and Velum.

Koon-Hui Wang (HI) discussed Integrated Pest Management strategies to control the sweet potato weevil stemborer complex as well as sweet potato infections by plant-parasitic root-knot and reniform nematodes. Combining the use of crop rotation, nematicide applications and biocontrol agents such as Oscheius tipulae and Metarhizium anisopliae showed promising results. The biocontrol agents performed better with improved soil health.

Peter DiGennaro (WI) discussed the effects of night-time warming on tomato infections by Meloidogyne hapla. His group is applying a dual RNA-seq approach in a tomato recombinant-inbred line population infected with nematodes to identify the genetic basis of this interaction. Studies on the role of nitrogen management in root-knot nematode interactions with potato and on a disease complex of root-lesion nematode with Verticillium fungi were also discussed.

Thomas Powers (NE) discussed the persistence of entomopathogenic nematodes from the genera Heterorhabditis and Steinernema in corn fields infested with different species of corn rootworm (Diabrotica spp.).

Cynthia Gleason (WA) discussed the characterization of the genome, transcriptome, and effector-encoding genes of Meloidogyne chitwoodii, a plant-parasitic nematode of economic significance in the Pacific Northwest, particularly on potato.

Jackie Beacham (NM) discussed geographical and seasonal patterns of root-knot nematodes of economic significance in chili pepper, corn, pecan, and grape, as well as results on variability in effectiveness of chemical control measures.

Landon Wong (HI) discussed results from comparative morphological and genetic analyses to resolve discrepancies in the literature on the occurrence of Meloidogyne konaensis and M. paranaensis in Hawaii and Brazil on crops such as coffee.

Amanda Hodson (CA) discussed the results from a 25-year experiment in which the effects of soil amendments with wood chips from recycled almond and walnut trees from old orchards on soil nematode communities were studied. Discovery of and extraction methods for chemicals with potential nematicidal effects from pistachio and almond hulls were discussed as well.

Joana “Asia” Kud (AR) discussed mapping novel sources of genetic resistance to root-knot and cyst nematodes in soybean using genetic and transcriptomic approaches. There was further discussion on the role of the potato cyst nematode effector RHA1B on targeting the potato immune receptors StNILR1 and StGpa2 and altering plant development and susceptibility to nematode infection.

Simon “Niels” Groen (CA) introduced his program - Evolutionary Systems Biology of Host-Parasite Interactions. In addition, he discussed how differences in effects of chemical defense-related genes in crop plants such as rice on plant responses to root-knot nematodes and leaf-chewing herbivores may shape phenotypic and genetic variations in populations of crop traditional varieties and wild relatives.

Parwinder Grewal, Dean of the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources of the University of Hawaii at Manoa, provided an overview of research activities in the college.

November 8, 2024:

State Reports:

Shahid Siddique (CA) discussed three areas of the most basic aspects in his research program. These included constructing a Pratylenchus vulnus genome, constructing a Meloidogyne hapla genome relative to differential reactions in NemaSnap beans, and constructing reference genomes of M. javanica strains VW4 and VW5 as well as different strains of M. incognita relative to differential reactions in Mi1 resistance in tomato.

Kathy Lawrence (AL) discussed the significance and distribution of reniform and root-knot nematodes in cotton and soybean, as well as the results of studies testing resistant cultivars and nematicides that include Velum and Aldicarb.

Haddish Melakeberhan (MI) discussed how nematode community analysis-based soil food web models can be used to describe soil health conditions, how the integrated productivity efficiency model identifies soil health outcomes as sustainable or unsustainable, and what additional measures are needed to get to sustainable outcomes.

Brent Sipes (HI) discussed the effects of the entomopathogenic nematode Oscheius tipulae on its target pest the sweet potato weevil and on non-target organisms. The nematode did not appear to affect the soil nematode and arthropod community. There was further discussion on an updated survey of plant-parasitic nematodes on coffee across the Hawaiian islands.

Business Meeting:

The following items were discussed,

Location: The University of Arkansas in Fayetteville was selected as a host for the November 2025 meeting. Joana “Asia” Kud will organize the venue and as potential dates a Monday and Tuesday in early November were proposed.

Officer’s Election: Brent Sipes was unanimously elected as secretary for 2025. Simon “Niels” Groen will move to become the chair.

Other Business: Thanks are given to Brent Sipes for organizing a wonderful meeting at a great venue.

The team further discussed the choice of a new Administrative Advisor. The team considered several candidates, who could be asked for this role.

The W5186 project web page that Shahid set up needs updating. Participants are encouraged to write contributions so that these can be added to the web page. Shahid will coordinate the additions and then Jacki will take over administration of the web page. In the future, the Secretary will gather new materials for the web page and part of the registration fees for the annual meeting will go towards covering the annual subscription payment for the web page.

Plans to meet with the Northeast Multistate project in 2026 were discussed. A joint meeting could potentially be held in the Washington, DC, area.

Respectfully submitted,

Simon C. “Niels” Groen

Recording Secretary

December 13, 2024

Accomplishments

Publications

Impact Statements

Date of Annual Report: 02/04/2026

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 11/10/2025 - 11/11/2025
Period the Report Covers: 01/01/2025 - 11/01/2025

Participants

W-5186: Simon ‘Niels’ Groen (CA, chair), Joanna ‘Asia’ Kud (AR, local arrangements), Louise-Marie Dandurand (ID), Cynthia Gleason (WA), Amanda Hodson (CA, via Zoom), Haddish Melakeberhan (MI), Shahid Siddique (CA, via Zoom), Brent Sipes (HI, secretary), Lei Zhang (IN, via Zoom), Adrienne Gorny (NC), Johan Desaeger (FL, via Zoom), Tristan Watson (LA, via Zoom), Kathy Lawrence & Bisho Lawaju (AL, via Zoom)
Members Absent:
W-5186: Peter DiGennaro (WI), Tom Powers (NE), Paulo Vieira (MD), Travis Faske (AR)

Brief Summary of Minutes

STATE REPORTS

Haddish Melakeberhan – Michigan

Dr. Melakeberhan presented an informative overview of soil health. Soil health is comprehensive, including biological, physiochemical, and structural components. There is a lot of information published (information rich), but practical knowledge is limited due to a lack of integration of this knowledge. Dr. Melakeberhan works with the soil food web model, Fertilizer use efficiency model, and integrated productivity efficiency model (all of which together have garnered 20,000 views on the website!).

But what is meant by information rich, knowledge poor? There are numerous indicators of soil health, for example reactive carbon, aggregate stability, and biological species. But not a single indicator can be related to a specific soil health value.

Dr. Melakeberhan finished his presentation by presenting data on a survey project to look at abundance of hapla in disturbed, healthy, degraded, and mature soils.

Adrienne Gorny – North Carolina

Dr. Gorny presented on her team’s research in managing M. enterolobii in sweetpotato in North Carolina. Continuing their yearly assessment of nematicides for short-term management of this species, they conducted an on-farm field trial to assess how well Tymirium is performing against other registered non-fumigant nematicides. In the on-farm test, Tymirium performed equally as well as Velum and Salibro, with regard to increasing marketable yield and decreasing percent galled sweetpotatoes. However, in this test, Telone II fumigant still performed the best.

This year, Dr. Gorny and her team also conducted a unique field experiment to assess different fumigant application depths and rates. They tested Telone II fumigant, applied in the bed at either 6 or 9 gal/acre, using shank depths of either 8 inches or 12 inches, in a fully crossed experiment. Controls consisted on the shanks dragged at either 8 or 12 inches, with no fumigant delivered. The plots in which fumigant was applied at 12 inches deep outperformed the plots in which fumigant was applied at 8 inches. There was no significant affect of fumigant rate. This is important information for growers in North Carolina to know, as application depth has a greater impact on fumigant efficacy than rate.

Johan Desaeger – Florida

Dr. Desaeger presented on his group’s work with RKN. Florida has a high diversity of RKN species, and M. enterolobii is just as common as M. incognita in the state. Moreover, M. hapla was only found in fields with strawberries. He and his students have been doing a lot of work with different nematicides in tomato, conducting their field trials at the research farm, evaluating Nimitz, Vydate, Salibro, Velum, and also overlaying fumigant on top of these non-fumigant nematicides. The combination of chloropicrin + Telone is the better performing fumigant in their tests. Dr. Desaeger presented some work on Purpurcillium lilacinum (MeloCon liquid formulation) – it is known that the efficacy of this product is associated with the movement of the fungal spores. His student conducted a greenhouse study looking at the movement of this product. The maximum number of spores was found within the first two weeks, then the spore density decreased. How can we improve the activity of P. lilacinum with other biocontrol agents? Dr. Desaeger also has a student looking at the combined application of P. lilacinum and Bacilum amyloliquefacianes for management of M. enterolobii in cucumber. The combination of these products was more effective than a single product.

Tristan Watson - Louisiana

In his presentation, Dr. Watson followed up with his work in reniform nematode in sweetpotato, which he presented at last year’s multi-state meeting. Besides North Carolina, Louisiana and Mississippi are also big producers of sweetpotato, but reniform is more problematic than RKN in these states. Out of 40 fields sampled in LA, 39 of them were infested with reniform, many of them over threshold. Reniform results in smaller roots. At this time, Dr. Watson is informing growers about this issue of reniform in sweetpotato, because it is relatively unknown. To this end, his group published a mini-review in Plant Health Progress. In 2024, they did an on-farm nematicide trial, when the growers handle and apply the products. Tristan also conducted trials composed of large plots, 8 rows wide by 400 feet long. The data showed that all nematicide fumigant and non-fumigant products were effective in reducing reniform eggs, and increased yields. In 2025, they repeated this trial across the street from the 2024 trial (however, minus the Telone treatment because the grower couldn’t get Telone). For context, 10,000 reniform per 500 cc soil is considered high density. The Kpam fumigant treatment did reduce nematode counts at planting and 28 days after planting. At 56 days after planting, populations increased for all treatments. Late season reniform nematode development was extremely high. However, yield was more variable, and from this trial work, Kpam, Salibro, and Vydate + Majestine were the better treatments. Coming from Dr. Watson’s work, the grower recommendation for Louisiana for managing reniform is Kpam , Velum, and Salibro

Dr. Watson and his team is also screening sweetpotato cultivars for reniform resistance. From this work, no commonly grown commercial sweetpotato cultivars were completely resistant, but Covington and Beauregard were highly susceptible. However, some old cultivars are more resistant/tolerant, and studies are ongoing.

Lei Zhang - Indiana

Everyone thinks of corn and soybean when they think of Indiana, yet as Dr. Zhang informed us, the state actually has a vegetable industry worth over $217 million. Watermelon alone contributes $75 million! Dr. Zhang’s work has been focusing on high tunnel production – specifically RKN has been found in over 50% of high tunnels in KY and OH. In Indiana, their team found three populations of M. incognita that can overcome Mi-1 mediated resistance in tomato rootstocks. Dr. Zhang and his lab tested all Mi-1 virulent isolates, and they all reproduce on Mi-1 tomato, however, they all failed to reproduce on pepper. They conducted penetration tests, and all five M. incognita isolates entered the pepper roots (both with the N gene and without the N gene). They are continuing their work with these virulent populations to learn more about them. Dr. Zhang is planning future work to look at the genome of the resistance breaking M. incognita stains to understand where these populations came from. Did they arise from the same population, or separately?

Dr. Zhang and collaborators also conducted a survey of nematodes on small vegetable farms in Indiana. Almost all soil samples collected from the farms had PPN, with spiral, lesion, and dagger as the most prevalent.

Amanda Hodson - California

Dr. Hodson shared two stories with us, one about organic amendments in olives in CA, and the other regarding RKN and Fusarium in processing tomatoes. They looked at biochar applications in olives, as there is some research that suggests it suppresses PPN, yet some inconsistent claims. They tested biochar and compost individually, the two together, and then a grower standard. In the compost treatment, there was a short-term suppression of PPN. With the biochar, there wasn’t much happening in the first year, but in the second year, the enrichment index increased. There is some work showing that biochar could be serving as a microstructure, “housing” bacteria. Yet in some work Dr. Hodson’s team did with almonds, biochar wasn’t great for soil health and nematode suppression – biochar treatment decreased nematode counts and was associated with lower Nitrogen pools.

So what is a parasite? E.O. Wilson told us that “parasites are predators that eat prey in units of less than one.”

In the second part of her presentation, Dr. Hodson discussed resistance-breaking RKN in disease complexes with fusarium in tomato. The RKN could be increasing root-exudates which could increase fungal spore germination. The RKN may also reduce plant defenses. Therefore, the order of infection seems important. They conducted an experiment with resistance breaking isolates of M. javanica VW5. There were no differences in fusarium symptoms with or without the RKN, and no difference in nematode symptoms with or without the fusarium. But inoculation with both pathogens reduced plant biomass (this was when both pathogens were inoculated simultaneously). In a second experiment, they inoculated the RKN first, then the Fusarium. The combined infection of RKN+Fusarium resulted in greater chlorosis than just RKN alone. There was no chlorosis with just Fusarium alone. Were the RKN causing this chlorosis, or were the plants just stressed? The question also becomes, what products might be helpful for managing both pathogens? What is the effect of temperature on this disease complex experiments? The resistance-breaking RKN populations seem to be able to completely overcome the resistance even in the absence of heat.

Cynthia Gleason – Washington

Dr. Gleason provided us an overview of her lab, which works on RKN of potato, mainly M. chitwoodi and M. hapla. Her lab researchers plant-nematode interactions to find better solutions for growers. They are working with effectors to understand what responses they induce.

Dr. Gleason presented on her Litchi tomato project. Litchi tomato has been shown to be very resistant to RKN, and serves as a trap crop. In Litchi tomato, M. chitwoodi almost never enters the root, and M. hapla achieves only minor levels of penetration. They looked at the transcriptome of Litchi tomato after infection with M. hapla. Her student identified putative candidate resistant genes based on homology, cloned these genes, constructed potato hair root lines, and observed a reduction in galled roots. Another area that Dr. Gleason’s lab is working in is identifying susceptibility genes, so that these may be edited for conferring resistance. They are using nematode effectors to identify these susceptibility genes. To illustrate, they are working on M. chitwoodi effector identification. Yet they were running into some trouble – a bad genome can lead to bad gene models. Her student worked on re-annotating the M. chitwoodi genome and achieved a better completeness (Busco score). Now that the team has a better genome, they can ask some questions regarding the genome. They compared the transcriptome from a pre-parasitic J2 vs. with just the esophageal glands. This narrows the focus to effectors created in the gland and then excreted. The identified McGland26, a brand new effector with no homology in any other nematode (it is M. chitwoodi specific). Experimentation seems to suggest it is not suppressing plant defenses (callous deposition or ROS burst), and is not suppressing a hypersensitive response. Check out their new paper about this out is PLOS!

Louise-Marie Dandurand – Idaho

Dr. Dandurand presented her lab’s work on rotation trials for management of potato cyst nematode in Idaho. About 3,000 acres are infested with PCN in Idaho, but this is a fairly concentrated area, two counties, 8 mile radius. She shared with us the three steps to deregulate a field: 1) evaluate egg viability (no viable eggs detected), 2) a greenhouse bioassay must pass three rounds, and 3) an in-field bioassay in which a susceptible potato is planted and reproduction/viability is assessed (three rounds of in-field assay must be passed).

Dr. Dandurand recently received an SCRI grant to address potato nematodes in the US. There are four objectives on this project, but today Dr. Dandurand presented their objective on potato rotation plan research for PCN, specifically work with Litchi tomato and quinoa in rotation with potato. Litchi tomato is reducing cysts by 82-99%, and quinoa is reducing cysts by ~45%. Litchi tomato is therefore as effective as a fumigant! From this Dr. Dandurand has developed recommendations, including using quinoa as a trap crop and Litchi tomato is the most effective eradication strategy. Planting 2 years of susceptible pomato is unadvisable.

Shifting gears, what is the impact of G. pallida on potato? Dr. Dandurand and her team are using the DSSAT program to develop a predictive model for yield loss. It was found that approx. 80 eggs / gram soil = 40% yield loss. There was significant yield loss in ‘Innovator’ and ‘Desiree’ when inoculated with 80 eggs / gram soil. Yet, there was not a significant yield loss in ‘Russet Burbank’ at 80 eggs/g soil, which is a novel finding. However, if looking at average tuber yield, PCN impacted the size of each tuber.

Simon “Niels” Groen – California

Dr. Groen is working with tomato processors in the central valley of California. The tomato rootstocks they are using should be resistant to M. incognita, resistance breaking strains have been observed. In processing tomato, the introgression of Mi-1 was very effective, however recently this is starting to break down. It is unknown whether the nematode is evading detection of the Mi-1 gene in plants, or if they are suppressing the immune response of the plant? What is the genetic architecture of the resistance breaking phenotype? Were these populations introduced from one source or did they evolve several times? Antoon’s and Shahid’s lab have been collecting RKN populations from across California. These populations were identified to species through PCR and perineal patterns. All isolates were M. incognita except for one population. Dr. Groen’s team is sequencing the genome of 20 isolates from CA and comparing these to other RKN genomes to identify variance. They have found a couple of populations that are identified as M. javanica, yet are clustering away from the other known M. javanica clusters. Can we identify structural variation in the genome of the M. incognita populations, especially those that are breaking resistance? Are there any effector modifications or deletions that are shared across the resistance breaking isolates? Dr. Groen’s team has found evidence that this is not the case, which suggests the resistance breaking strains rose independently among many different RKN isolates. Virulence of resistance-breaking RKN populations may likely involved multiple genes. There also appeared to be a latitudinal virulence gradient, as populations in the southern part of the state were more virulent, and those in the central and northern part were slightly less so. Virulence appears to be a quantitative trait involving more than one gene.

Joanna “Asia” Kud - Arkansas

Central questions to Dr. Kud’s lab include how do nematodes manipulate the host plant? How many effectors do nematodes have? How do we know which effectors are important? We know that effectors are deployed over time, from hours after infection, to days later.

Dr. Kud presented the concept of meta-effectors. The cell is bombarded with many effectors at the same time – are there interactions between effectors deployed together? Work on meta-effectors was initiated and groundwork done in Legionella bacteria. For example, RHA1B effector is an E3 ubiquitin ligase, this effector is expressed in dorsal glands and is very disruptive to plant immunity. It can degrade proteins used to look out for nematode pathogens! RHA1B also contributes to cell cycle and growth, contributes to syncytium development. However, because it is an E3 ligrase, does it impact other effectors, especially those localized into the same island? Dr. Kud’s team’s research shows that yes, it was found that RHA1B degrades ME4 effector. ME4 is a member of the flutathione synthetase effector family, and evidence shows it suppresses both PTI and ETI.

Why would a nematode want to destroy its own effector? Potentially because it functions as a spatio-temportal regulation. Recall that the plant is “looking out” for nematodes at different times. Perhaps it is in the nematode’s best interest to “clean up” after itself.

Kathy Lawrence - Alabama

Dr. Lawrence and her team are working on greenhouse and field studies for management of RKN, and also tracking new PPN in Alabama. They are working with diagnostic labs to identify new RKN populations in the state. Of note, they identified M. enterolobii for the first time in Alabama. They identified the M. enterolobii population based on morphological morphometric and molecular methods. Since this species is new to Alabama, they conduced a host pathogenicity assay test and this isolate did not reproduce well on cotton and soybean, but had a high RF on pepper, tomato, sweetpotato, and tobacco. The M. enterolobii isolate was identified in a Crepe Myrtle farm.

Dr. Lawrence and her lab are also looking at yields of resistant and susceptible cotton varieties, either with or without nematicides under M. incognita pressure, including testing several ThriveOn cotton varieties. Even with the resistant variety, there was a benefit of adding a Velum treatment, and there were similar results when considering pressure of both SRKN and reniform nematode. They tested the effect of Tymirium as a seed treatment on cotton, and saw a numerical increase in yield with the use of Tymirium as a seed treatment. They are excited to get this one registered for cotton growers. Using resistance to reniform nematode, they are still seeing a reduction in yield under reniform pressure, whereas fields without reniform nematode are consistently yielding much better. So, it is important to keep fields clean and nematode free.

Shahid Siddique – California

Dr. Siddique presented the two main themes in his lab: 1) genomics and biothenology for sustainable nematode management and 2) mechanisms of nematode infection and host response. They are working on sequencing RKN populations, including resistance breaking strains and populations from across the US and globe. They want to capture RKN genomic diversity across the US and create high quality reference genomes for those populations in California. But how does this help farmers in CA? This data can help with diagnostics and infection mechanisms, tracking RKN populations across California.

Dr. Siddique and his lab have published M. incognita, M. javanica, M. floridensis, and M. hapla genomes. The M. hapla genome is now available online. In addition to RKN, they are also working on Pratylenchus vulnus and ring nematode M. xenoplax. So what’s next? They are expanding their sequencing project, so if you are in the US, consider donating your nematode populations.

It seems as if RKN do not have traditional endings to the chromosomes, i.e. telomers and Shelterin complexes. Instead, they seem to have 16-mer repeats at the end of the chromosomes, but just on one end. Interestingly, Chromosome 1 has a 16-mer repeat in the middle, suggesting a chromosome fusion. Most contiguous genome assembly for a PPN to date is their M. hapla genome.

Dr. Siddique is also conducting studies with M. hapla VW9 (an avirulent strain), and M. hapla LM (a virulent strain), and differ in their ability to reproduce on snap bean variety NemaSnap. They are working with “Unknown Candidate Gene Mh10” – multiple variants of this gene is present in the virulent population. Silencing of this Mh10 gene enables the avirulent population (VW9) to infect nemaSnap bean.

Dr. Sanabria-Velazquez gave us an overview of the anaerobic soil disinfestation (ASD) technique. First, you need a carbon source – this is the main challenge, as we need to incorporate a lot of carbon. The carbon source needs to be very cheap or free for the farmers. The carbon source material is applied and then tarped or covered with plastic. However, you can use the same plastic to then plant the veg, so the farmers don’t have to spend more. While a postdoc at NCSU, he conducted an ASD trial – in this, PPN were reduced, but the other free-living nematodes were not really affected. He would like to try this experiment on the muck soils in Ohio, looking at the main RKN in Ohio, M. hapla.

Brent Sipes – Hawaii

Dr. Sipes presented on perhaps everyone’s favorite crops, coffee and cacao! Their team conducted a survey on Hawaii’s Big Island for the coffee root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne konaensis. In Oahu, there was less than 5% RKN incidence, but all samples were M. incognita. No M konaensis found in Oahu. But in Kona, 100% of coffee fields had M. konaensis. Dr Sipes gave us an overview of coffee cultivation in Hawaii using the “pulapula” method (“pulling” method), which likely moved the M. konaensis across the coffee fields. In Hawaii, M. konaensis is similar to a specimen collected from Brazil in 1980. Very similar in morphometrics to M. paranaensis. Perhaps a species complex is afoot? However, the populations they are seeing are strictly M. konaensis, and there doesn’t seem to be mixing of populations of Mk and Mp. Some comparison of the COX2-16S region indicated a diagnostic gap in the genome that is present in M. paranaensis is also present in the M. konaensis populations from Hawaii. This has lead to the strong hypothesis that M. konaensis came to Hawaii from Brazil. Mk and Mp are the same species, with Mp being a junior synonym.

Dr. Sipes then presented another ongoing project on nematodes of cacao. Hawaii is starting to grow cacao, but is pushing the limits on the climate region that it can grow. Also noted is the interesting flavor profile of cacao from Hawaii. Brent explained the different cultivars with red pods and yellow pods. Cryptic above ground symptoms of nematode infection in cacao, browning and leaf edge burn. His lab conducted a greenhouse study to inoculate the two varieties with Mi, Mj, and reniform nematode. Both red and yellow pod cacao were good host to all three nematodes. This indicates that nematodes may be a problem for growers and education efforts may be needed for cacao growers.

Sushil Chhapekar (on behalf of Henry Nguyen) – Missouri

Dr. Chhapekar presented the lab’s work on estimating yield loss in soybean due to SCN, RKN, and other diseases. Annual yield loss of $1.5 billion in the US alone. We are in need of an alternative source of resistance, as 88788 (Rgh1 QTL) and Peking (Rgh4 QTL) are about 98% of the resistance on the market. In their lab, they are identifying novel resistance alleles through genotyping and subsequent phenotyping, focusing on MG III-V. However, they are mostly finding 88788 and Peking resistance, but on occasion they are come across novel resistance.

Dr. Chhapekar and team identified a QTL qSCN10 candidate gene for SCN resistance. They narrowed down the region and developed markers, and from this identified approx. 20 genes in this region. They conducted an RNAseq experiment, and among the 20 genes, three genes were differentially expressed. They then conducted haplotype clustering of the qSCN10 locus genes in different soybean lines, and conducted experiments to overexpress these genes in transgenic Williams 82. Overexpression of these genes resulted in significantly reduced cyst counts.

The Missouri team have also been working on RKN in soybean. The major QTL for resistance to RKN in soybean was identified on Chr. 10 from their lab. They have developed some NILs for this Chromosome 10. They have identified the region responsible to approx. 30kb, however, there are no resistance genes predicted from this region. They are working on evaluating the genes in this region and estimating which may be the most important towards RKN resistance.

General Discussion

Niels to Shahid: as a field (nematology), should we develop a website to bring together high quality morphometric and genetic data?

Shahid: yes, I agree with this. NCBI doesn’t always provide good quality results. In our experience, using WormBase Parasite is much better than using NCBI.

Will Rutter: I also agree with the need of a website to bring together this data. My initial thought is Nemaplex - can we link the morphological and genetic resources that we have high confidence in to that website?

Niels: the stability of WormBase Parasite is also up in the air…. They are trying to find funds to maintain the site.

Haddish: also consider Tom Power’s Nebraska website. I think SON should take this seriously and devote some resources to this. Generally, I agree that linking to other resource would be easier than starting from the ground up.

Shahid: perhaps we should devote some time and discussion at the next SON meeting to this? (there was general agreement to this)

Rutter: perhaps also bring in Dorota’s mitochondrial database? Perhaps increase membership fees for SON to cover costs?

Action Item: have someone on the EB bring this up at the next SON EB meeting.

S-1092 2025 Business Meeting (Fayetteville, AR 11/11/2025)

State Reports

We began the S-1092 Business Meeting by discussing coordination and submitting the state reports. Intiaz Chowdhury is the incoming Chair, so he will compile all the individual state reports for submission of the final report.

New Vice-Chair

We then discussed who will be the next Vice-Chair. Zane Grabau volunteered for this role.

2026 Meeting Site

We discussed where the multi-state meeting will be next year (in 2026). Adrienne volunteered to host this meeting in Raleigh, since the 2025 meeting was held jointly in Fayetteville, AR. Zane volunteered to organize the 2027 meeting in Gainesville. We discussed the possibility of holding the multi-state meeting right after the Cotton Working Group meeting (also held in Raleigh), so that participants can combine travel. However, it would be good to check when the ONTA meeting is scheduled for 2026, to make sure the timing does not overlap.

New Hatch Project

At the 2026 meeting, we will need to begin talking about writing of the new hatch project, as the current S-1092 hatch project will end Sept 30, 2027.

New Members

We discussed potential new members. A new South Carolina representative may be needed upon the retirement of John Meuller. Other potential members discussed were Shova Mishra, Deepak Haarith, Clemen Oliveira, Churamani Khanal, and Lesley Schumacher.

W-5186 2025 Business Meeting (Fayetteville, AR 11/11/2025)

State Reports

We began the W-5186 Business Meeting by discussing coordination and submitting the state reports. Brent Sipes is the Secretary, so he will compile all the individual state reports for submission of the final report.

New Secretary and Chair

We then discussed who will be the next Secretary. Cynthia Gleason volunteered for this role; current Secretary Brent Sipes will move into the role of Chair next year.

2026 Meeting Site

We discussed where the multi-state meeting will be next year (in 2026). Cynthia Gleason volunteered to host this meeting in Pullman, WA.

New Members

We discussed potential new members for W-5186: Deepak Haarith (FL), Bao Lam Huynh (CA), and Andres Sanabria-Velazquez (OH).