The Guava root-knot nematode (GRKN) is an invasive and aggressive soilborne pathogen that overcomes crop resistance genes. In North Carolina, in 2020, GRKN threatened 95,000 harvested acres valued at $342 million. Multifaceted research into the management of GRKN was needed to investigate solutions, yet fields with high GRKN populations that were spatially even and temporally consistent (necessary for reliable data) were difficult to locate on private farms. This project aimed to establish a contained research farm site infested with GRKN at the Border Belt Tobacco Research Station in Columbus County. The contained site would allow for management studies and the ability to screen sweetpotato, soybean, tobacco, and vegetable cultivars under field conditions. Golden LEAF funds were used for fencing and a wash pad.
