Worms that damage the African violet: Nematode

Nematodes - the most terrible enemy for decorative plants, including Parma Violets.
Nematodes are unsegmented cylindrical worms, translucent that comprise the largest 'kingdom' of the animal kingdom. Their length is 1 mm. Two large groups of nematodes are distinguished: those that have their habitat in the environment and parasitic nematodes.

Environmental nematodes populate groundwater and soil. They are some microscopic beings.
Although they are tiny, they are found in soil by the hundreds of thousands. At 1 kg of soil or mud from the bottom of a river, the population of nematodes is of the order of hundreds of thousands.
In each soil substrate, practically in every pot, they meet nemtode. Many species of nematodes that populate the soil are absolutely harmless to decorative plants.

Instead, parasitic nematodes have chosen their place of living inside animals and plants around the world. A variety of species can parasitize on the Gesneriaceae (on the roots, Stems, foliage).
Most nematodes have three life stages: egg, larva and adult. The last two stages are the most harmful for plants. Nematodes parasitizing plants are pathogens with specialized structures that allow them to break the cell wall of the plant and extract the contents of the cell.

Root nematodes have only two generations per year. They populate the soil substrates and end up in our pots with it. Dsitruge herb slowly and safely.
From the appearance of the first signs of contamination to the death of the plant can pass several years.
Greenhouse species – southern nematode, peanut nematode and Javanese can have up to 13 genratii per year. Starting with the second or third generation after contamination of the roots of the plant, root nematodes can establish their permanent place of living on the contaminated plant during its life cycle. And on succulents and Gesneriaceae the larvae of nematodes will move freely from the roots to the crown of the plant.

The main signs of contamination of African violets with nematodes:

Roots: The root system of the plant is poorly developed, and the spikes on the root are completely missing. The roots are thickened, brown in color and have fine cracks distributed longitudinally over the entire surface.
The thickened surfaces on the root of the plant are watery and quite fragile when touched.

Strain: For the puppies of African violets attacked by nematodes it is caractirestic that their stem thickens and becomes a sponge filled with water. From the stem go fragile and thickened roots. The stem most of the time is covered by cracks that are easy to notice.
For mature plants, the trunk of the plant grows chaotically, many chicks appear at the base of the leaves. The plant loses its decorativeness, leaves grow upwards. The plant blooms very rarely and without 'reluctance'.

Leaves: They become fluffier than those of healthy plants. The leaves are anemic, lose their size, become watery and the petioles of the leaves are quite fragile.
If the contaminated plant remains without roots, the leaves closest to the soil lose their turgidence even if they are watered correctly and regularly.
Infestation of the plant lasts for months, and signs of contamination of the plant with nematodes are noticed too late, when the entire collection is contaminated.

An accurate diagnosis can be obtained only in the case of a microscopic research of the contaminated plant.
Take pieces of the roots and stem of the plant, which will be positioned on a glass slide in a drop of water. Gently press on the pieces taken with a less blunt object so that the plant tissues crack and spread. Gradually, the pieces of the plant we will terciui. Extract the larger pieces and cover the blade with the 'porridge' obtained. If under the microscope you can see worms and larvae of nematodes, females with a pear-shaped body, then the diagnosis is clear – nematodosa.

Treating contaminated plants from a collection is impossible. In combating nematodes, the first step is to prevent their spread.
Prevention measures are:
1. Prevention of the spread of nematodes in the collection of violets from exetrior;
2. Prevention of the spread of nematodes in the collection of violets from the inside.

Prevention of the spread of nematodes in the collection of violets from exetrior:
Nematodes can enter the plant collection with the earthen substrate, river sand, dust, dirty hands after cleaning vegetables. You can also introduce in the collection contaminated plants from other amateurs.
In the places of, where once strawberries were planted, fragi, Raspberry, vegetables (Cucumber, Onion, sugar beet) pathogenic nematodes will be in excess.

As a result, african violets will never be planted in the soil from the field, garden or greenhouse. In cases where there is no other situation, the soil will be thermally processed. To avoid the appearance of toxicosis in planted plants, the soil will be thermally processed for at least one month.
Pots bought or those in which plants were once planted will be sterilized.
The African violet collector will study in detail the roots of the plants that have entered its collection.
Chickens, mature plants, freshly obtained leaves will stay in quarantine or separated from the other plants.

Prevention of the spread of nematodes in the collection of violets from the inside:
Larvae and eggs of nematodes can spread through earthen bulgarians, dust, repeated use of pots and plates, water that drains from the infected pot into the common plate.
Repeated use of soil is not allowed. Pots and saucers, that have been used before will be washed and sterilized.
The most effective way of prevention – each plant will have underneath a plate.

If the plant is contaminated with nematodes, the next steps will be performed:
– contaminated plants are discarded – all and immediately;
– all plants that have a common saucer with a diseased plant are thrown away;
– all plants in the collection are put in deep and individual plates.

Watering through the wick system, from individual containers prevents the migration of nematodes. It remains only to sterilize the containers in which they were planted, put the plants and avoid the reuse of the soil or its combination with a new soil substrate.
– Pots, Labels, plates, after each use they will be sterilized.
– Drainage and the land where flowers were planted are thrown away;
– Planting each violet will be done on a single newspaper, Bag. The soil mixture will be taken from the bag with earth with a clean container and floss as necessary for planting a violet.
– In case of transplanting a violet, will not touch with your hands the roots and the soil in which it was planted. If the roots, strain shows signs of contamination, Soil, plant, the newspaper is thrown away and washed hands with soap. Before you plant the next plant all the steps are repeated (new newspaper, soil...).

Saving unique varieties:
Larvae of root nematodes easily move on the stems and leaves of many succulent plants – begonias, Cacti, Gesneriaceae.
Cuttings on the contaminated plant, most likely, will be contaminated and they.
In cases when a plant of a unique variety has been contaminated, from it will be taken cuttings. It will take the youngest leaves, and their petiole will be cut under the leaf. The shorter it is – the lower the probability of the presence of nematodes. Each cutting will be planted in an individual container. Cuttings will be discarded after the appearance of the first healthy puppies.