Preface

Nematodes can infect humans, animals, and plants. They can cause serious damage and yield losses in a wide range of crops throughout the world. This imposes a challenge to the sustainable production of food worldwide.

Thus, finding sustainable methods to control these pathogens is very important. In this book, we discuss identification and characterization methods based on molecular and morphological techniques, incidence and impacts on large crops, and nematode parasitizing of alternative species (weeds, ornamentals, invasive plants, and volunteer plants).

We also examine the management of these parasites in an integrated manner, using specific monitoring, chemical and biological control methods, genetic host resistance, and cultural methods of nematode control, taking into account the capacity of these phytoparasites to be affected by the imbalance of productive systems and to comply with the function of environmental bioindicators.

This book discusses the current and emerging challenges of the presence of nematodes in different crop production systems.

> **Cristiano Bellé, Ph.D.** Phytus Institute, Santa Maria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

**Tiago Edu Kaspary, Ph.D.** Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agropecuaria del Uruguay, Montevideo, Uruguay

## Section 1
