NEMATOFAUNA EM ÁREAS CULTIVADAS E CERRADO NATIVO NO CAMPUS HIDROLÂNDIA

Abstract

Nematodes are among the most abundant animals on Earth and influence soil microbial dynamics as well as plant responses to their presence. A nematological survey was conducted at Campus Hidrolândia to investigate the occurrence of these organisms in preserved and cultivated areas and to identify the genera present. Samples were collected from four areas — Experimental Field, Fruit Production Area, Horticulture Area, and Native Forest — in two sampling campaigns, in September 2025 and June 2026, with results presented in combined form. The study followed the methods of Jenkins (1964) and Miller and Miller (2010), using the identification key of Ferraz (2012) to ensure greater precision and accuracy of the results. Soil penetration resistance data were also collected from each area to investigate a possible association with nematode occurrence. Nematodes were found in only two areas: the Fruit Production Area and the Native Forest. Only two genera of plant-parasitic nematodes were identified, Helicotylenchus and Pratylenchus, exclusively in the Fruit Production Area, associated with samples collected from the banana rhizosphere; free-living, non-plant-parasitic nematodes were found in both the Fruit Production Area and the Native Forest. In the conditions of this survey, it was not possible to establish an association between soil penetration resistance and the occurrence of nematodes.