NEMATODE POPULATION-DYNAMICS IN MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE-AMENDED SOIL DURING TOMATO AND SQUASH CULTIVATION

The influence of amending soil with municipal solid waste (MSW) materi als on nematode populations in tomato and squash fields in southern Fl orida was examined. The MSW materials included Daorganite produced fro m heat-treated sewage sludge, Agrisoil compost (composted yard and hou se trash), and Eweson Compost (a combination of composted house and ya rd trash and sewag e sludge). Tomato and squash were planted as rotati on crops in soils amended with the MSW materials. The experiment tvas repeated on a different site the following year. Nematodes found in th e soil included Criconemella onoensis, Helicotylenchus dihystera, Roty lenchulus reniformis, Meloidogyne incognita, Pratylenchus spp., Quinis ulcius acutus, Tylenchus spp., Ditylenchus spp., Rhabditida (primarily Rhabditis spp.), Dorylaimida (primarily Eudolylaimus spp.) and Aphele nchida. There were few consistent effects of MSW treatments on nematod e populations. The plant-parasitic nematodes, as a group, were not aff ected by MSW treatment, in both years, however, the final populations of juvenile Meloidogyne incognita in squash were significantly greater in the control than in the compost treatments. These data indicate th at the incorporation of these MSW materials may have a negative impact on populations of M. incognita.