Foliar nematode

Foliar nematodes are plant parasitic roundworms in the genus Aphelenchoides.

Foliar nematodes are becoming a widespread and serious problem for the ornamental and nursery industries.

This rapid generation time allows populations to quickly grow, sometimes reaching thousands of nematodes per leaf Adult foliar nematodes are able to overwinter by surviving in dried plant tissue in a dormant state.

Foliar nematodes occur throughout the United States in greenhouse and nursery settings.

Foliar nematodes travel in films of water, swimming up the stems of plants and entering leaf tissue through stomata.