Cultural management includes all agronomic practices that can help reduce the population densities of the nematode in the soil.  Among others, it can include:

• Rotation with non-host crops

• Cover crops

• Inter-cropping

• Tillage

• Soil amendments

• Soil solarization

The most important cultural practice to manage root-knot nematodes is the use of clean planting material.  Most vegetables are transplanted into the field as small seedlings with well-developed roots.  Transplants with healthy roots, free from nematode infection, will have the best chance of performing well, even in fields infested with nematodes. 

The wide host range of root knot nematodes makes crop rotation difficult, but rotating with poor host crops for M.e. reproduction, like peanut, can help decrease populations. Position the crop in a rotation of crops to reduce weeds and diseases.

Sanitation is important because nematodes can be moved in soil on equipment, vehicles, or shoes that have entered an infested field. Equipment used in infested fields should be sanitized before moving to other fields. Workers should sanitize shoes between working fields.

Removing or destroying plant material that allows nematode reproduction after harvest will help also decrease nematode populations in the next season.