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What is the role of nematodes in soil health?
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"You have been presenting on Soil Health and Nematodes. What is the role of nematodes in soil health? What is soil health? What is healthy soil?"
Soil health is the capacity of soil to support the production of food and fiber, nutrient cycling, biological control of pests and diseases as well as regulation of water flow and quality.
In the agricultural context, healthy soil is one that has the right physical, biological and chemical properties to support the production of food, promoting the well-being of plants, animals, and people. Healthy soil is stable and can overcome stress. Soil health depends on soil biodiversity.
Nematodes have an important role in the functioning of soils. They are at different levels of the soil food web, and they regulate the abundance of other organisms in the soil food web. Nematodes feed on bacteria, fungi, plants, and other nematodes, influencing the rate of organic matter decomposition.
Nematode faunal analysis provides an insight into soil health. Therefore, nematodes are an excellent indicator of soil health.