Feeding by Dagger or Root Lesion Nematodes may stunt growth of young blueberry plants. Look for small black lesions or galls on feeder roots. Nematode damage to established plants is more likely to occur from transmission of blueberry viruses than direct feeding. Because most soil nematodes are microscopic in size, special laboratory procedures are needed to confirm their presence in soil and/or roots.
![Dagger nematode (Xiphinema spp.) damage on roots Four excised, cleaned roots against white background. Roots have small black lesions and appear stubby and malformed.](https://blogs.cornell.edu/berrytool/files/2020/10/Dagger_nematodes_raspberry-300x201.png)
![Berry planting with root lesion nematode (Pratylenchus spp.) damage. Aerial view of field with berry planting. Berry bushes are patchy, with large swaths of bare field and patches of green bushes with irregular borders. Bordering fields are entirely green with no patches.](https://blogs.cornell.edu/berrytool/files/2020/11/Root_lesion_nematode_raspberry-300x291.png)
![Raspberry planting with varying progression of root lesion nematode (Pratylenchus spp) injurt. Three raspberry plants trained along a wire trellis. Rightmost plant is tall and bushy. Middle plant is half the size of the plant on the right, narrower and shorter. Plant on left is larger than central plant but smaller than rightmost plant.](https://blogs.cornell.edu/berrytool/files/2020/11/Root_lesion_nematode_raspberry2-300x202.png)
More information on nematode testing, biology and management.
Nematode Testing:
- Soil Sampling for Plant-Parasitic Nematode Assessment
- Visual Assessment of Root-Knot Nematode Soil Infestation Levels using a Lettuce Bioassay
- A Soil Bioassay for the Visual Assessment of Soil Infestations of Lesion Nematode
- Sampling Soil and Roots for Plant Parasitic Nematodes – (OMAFRA)
- Diagnosing Nematode Problems in Berry Crops – (OMAFRA)
Use these resources if you need additional help with diagnosis and to find solutions to your problem.