SUITABILITY OF A WHEAT-SORGHUM, DOUBLE-CROP ROTATION TO MANAGE CRICONEMELLA-XENOPLAX IN PEACH PRODUCTION

Twenty-one sorghum cultivars were evaluated for host suitability to th e ring nematode Criconemella xenoplax in the greenhouse. No C. xenopla x were detected on peach in soil previously planted to GK8172C, Funks G-522DR, Jacques-505, McCurdy M51YG, Northrup King NK2660, or Northrup King NK-Savannah 5. Additionally, the effects of 1-, 2-, and 3-year w heat-sorghum and wheat-fallow preplant double-crop rotations for the m anagement of C. xenoplax were studied from 1990 to 1993 in a field exp eriment in central Georgia. The field site had a previous history of p each tree short life and was heavily infested with C. xenoplax. All wh eat-sorghum and wheat-fallow rotations suppressed population densities of C. xenoplax compared with 3 years of continuous peach (P less than or equal to 0.05). One year of a wheat-fallow did not suppress C. xen oplax population densities as low as did 1 year of wheat-sorghum. No d ifferences in suppression of C. xenoplax population density were detec ted among the 1, 2, and 3 years of wheat-sorghum rotation. A wheat-sor ghum rotation has potential as a preplant strategy to manage C. xenopl ax in peach orchards in the southeastern United States.