NEMATODE POTATO PRODUCTION PROBLEMS IN TE MPERATE CLIMATES OF THE ANDEAN REGION

Potatoes are grown in a broader range of altitudes, latitudes, and cli matic conditions than any other major food crop. However, most major p otato crop constraints cut across ecoregions, that is, across specific geographical areas and the agroecologies they comprise, such as the t emperate zones and the tropical and subtropical highlands in the Andea n countries of Latin America. Without any doubt, among the most import ant potato problems related to plant parasitic nematodes as production limiting factors are the potato cyst nematodes (Globodera rostochiens is G. pallida) and the potato rosary nematode (Nacobbus aberrans). The factors which make these nematodes so important in potato production (i.e., losses, distribution, races, hosts, dissemination, diagnosis, a lternative crops, efficient control measures, resistance and interacti on with other organisms) as well as the development of strategies for their integrated management being conducted in several Andean countrie s of Latin America are analyzed and discussed.