The use of host resistance is the single most efficient method of nematode control (Starr et al. 2002). Compared to nematicides, crop rotation, cultural controls, and biological control, host plant resistance is easier to implement and has more predictable results. An additional benefit from using a resistant cultivar is that damage from disease complexes involving nematodes and either vascular wilt fungi or seedling disease fungi may be significantly reduced.  The use of resistant cultivars can be combined effectively with any other control method.

Efforts to breed crop varieties with resistance to RKN species have resulted in the successful identification and deployment of a few major RKN resistance genes in different crops. These resistance genes, along with the application of nematicides, have provided adequate control of the major RKN species. However, recently, some of the most efficacious nematicides (e.g. aldicarb and methyl bromide) have been removed from the market due to environmental concerns. Most chemical and biological alternatives to aldicarb and the fumigants are only partially effective in reducing nematode populations, so the burden for managing RKN is now more heavily reliant on a limited number of RKN resistance genes.