EFFECTS OF PARTRIDGE PEA PEANUT ROTATIONS ON POPULATIONS OF MELOIDOGYNE-ARENARIA, INCIDENCE OF SCLEROTIUM-ROLFSII, AND YIELD OF PEANUT

The value of partridge pea (Cassia fasciculata) as a rotation crop for the management of root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne arenaria) and south ern blight (Sclerotium rolfsii) in 'Florunner' peanut (Arachis hypogae a) was assessed in a B-year field experiment. Partridge pea did not su pport significant numbers of M. arenaria juveniles in soil. When peanu t followed partridge pea, the numbers of juveniles were always lower t han in plots with continuous peanut. Aldicarb applied to peanut follow ing 2 years of partridge pea resulted in increased yields over continu ous peanut without nematicide. When the nematicide was applied to pean ut following 1 year of partridge pea, yields were improved in 2 out of the three years when peanuts were planted in this cropping system. Pe anut without nematicide following 1 year of partridge pea yielded more than peanut monoculture in only 1 out of the 3 years when peanuts wer e planted in this system. Yields of peanut without nematicide followin g 2 years of partridge pea were higher than those obtained with contin uous peanut with or without nematicide in 1 out of the 2 possible year s when plots with this rotation were in peanut. Application of aldicar b to continuous peanut failed to increase yields in all but two years of the study. Partridge pea had no effect on the incidence of southern blight in peanut.