Currently, the Cooperative Extension Service relies on a time-consuming microscopic process for nematode identification and counting. The researchers propose to develop a PCR-based method to detect soybean cyst, reniform, and root-knot nematode individually and in mixed populations from soil samples. They will incorporate this technology with existing nematode assay methods used by CES to significantly reduce the time and labor required to process the thousands of soil samples received every year and speed reporting of nematode infestations to growers.

Based on these sequences, they will design primers that will be unique and specific for each of the three nematode species, but will...