Observations on the transport of nematodes in sub-soil drainage and irrigation water

Abstract

At Red Cliffs, Victoria, it has become an accepted practice to return drainage water to the irrigation supply. Observations on the numbers of nematodes collected from sub-soil drains, at different times of the irrigation season, have shown the persistent occurrence of parasitic nematodes. In particular, larvae of the citrus nematode Tylenchulus semipenetrans are present in high numbers. Because of the known importance of parasitic nematodes as factors in the yield reduction of horticultural crops in the Murray Valley, and the need to limit their spread, it is concluded that the re-use of drainage water for irrigation purposes is undesirable.