So far the tentative info I've come up with is:
1. nematodes are very expensive ($700/acre?)
2. they are unreliable as a control mechanism
3. a better solution might be soil sterilization using
"solarizing", but that means the purchase of a lot of
plastic and laying out those acres during the main part of
the summer
4. it's not practical to consider raising nematodes (are
they gathered to sell vs being raised?)
The grower involved would consider doing a 4 - 4 acre plot
division and experimenting with different alternatives.
Does anyone have any suggestions/comments from their own
experience? Thanks.
Tory Shade, Farm Management Specialist
& Small Farm Family Program Supervisor
Southeast Region, University Extension-Missouri
Courthouse Basement, PO Box 218
Greenville, MO 63944 USA
(314) 224-3221 ext 31
[314] 224-3225
INTERNET: shadev@ext.missouri.edu