Journal of Nematology 49(4):477–541. 2017. Ó The Society of Nematologists 2017. ABSTRACTS CHEMICAL DEHYDRATION OF NEMATODES FOR SCANNING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY OBSERVATIONS. Abdel-Rahman, Fawzia H. Department of Biology, Texas Southern University. Houston, TX 77004. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) of nematodes has become an essential component of new species description; however, the general preparation procedures for SEM can frequently result in specimen distortion during fixation and drying procedures. Here, a chemical preparation method using hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS) was employed to dry nematodes for SEM. The plant parasitic nematode Globodera sp., and the soil free-living nematode Caenorhabditis elegans were dried without any deformities. Cyst stages of Globodera, and the synchronized C. elegans hermaphrodites were used in this test. Globodera cysts were obtained in FAA, and the synchronized C. elegans hermaphrodites were killed with gentile heat, and fixed in FAA for 48 hours. All nematode specimens were ultrasonicated for few minutes and dehydrated through an acetone series, 25, 50, 75, 95%, and 3 changes of 100% acetone (30 minutes for each change). Nematodes then were transferred gradually to 100% hexamethyldisilazane (HMDS). This was done by transferring the acetone dehydrated nematodes gradually through a series of mixtures of acetone and HMDS to 100% HMDS (75% acetone and 25% HMDS, then 50% acetone and 50% HMDS, then 25% acetone and 75% HMDS, and finally 3 changes of 100% HMDS). All nematode specimens in 100% HMDS were left over night under the hood to dry. After the evaporation of HMDS, nematode specimens were observed with the stereomicroscope; dried nematodes were mounted on SEM aluminum stubs, sputter coated with gold and viewed with SEM using accelerated voltage of 15 KV. SEM Images of C. elegans and the cysts of Globodera sp., proved that drying of nematodes using HMDS were as good/or better than those regularly dried by critical-point dryer. Using HMDS to prepare nematodes for SEM is efficient, safe and easy to use. EFFICACY AND YIELD BENEFITS OF NEMATICIDE, INSECTICIDE, AND FUNGICIDE CHEMISTRIES AND PRE- MIXES FOR PEST MANAGEMENT IN PEANUT. Ahmed, Saleh, S.V. Taylor, D.A. Herbert, S. Malone, L. Byrd- Masters, and H.L. Mehl. Virginia Tech Tidewater AREC, 6321 Holland Rd, Suffolk, VA 23437 Management of plant parasitic nematodes and other yield-limiting pests including thrips and fungal diseases is critical for maximizing yields in peanut production. Several products are available for chemical control of these pests; however, it may be cost-effective to apply these products only if pest pressure is high in a field. The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and yield benefits of nematicide (fluopyram), insecticide (imidacloprid), and fungicide (prothioconazole) chemistries applied in-furrow at planting for peanuts in southeastern Virginia. A major focus of this study was to determine if and when the nematicide fluopyram provides a yield benefit in peanut, so experiments were conducted at three locations varying in nematode pressure. In-furrow treatments consisted of an untreated control, Admire Pro (imidacloprid), Velum Total (imi- dacloprid + fluopyram), Proline 480SC (prothioconazole), and Propulse (fluopyram + prothioconazole). For each product, equivalent amounts of active ingredients were applied so that direct comparisons can be made among treatments. In addition to in-furrow treatments, Propulse and Proline were applied at pegging in combination with either Admire Pro or Velum Total. Treatments were applied in a randomized complete block design with four to six replicates at three different locations. Thrips damage, soilborne disease incidence, soil populations of plant parasitic nematodes, and peanut yields were evaluated. Treatments including an insecticide (Admire Pro and Velum Total) reduced thrips damage across all three locations. Overall, disease pressure was low until just prior to harvest, and there were no significant differences in disease incidence among treatments. Nematode populations varied among the three experiment locations. Location one had moderate ring nematode pressure, location two had moderate root knot and high ring nematode pressure, and location three had low nematode pressure. Nematode densities in the soil increased over the growing season, but mid- and late-season nematode counts did not vary among treatments at any of the locations. At locations one and two, all treatments resulted in higher yields compared to the untreated control. The greatest increase in yield occurred in the treatment with Admire Pro applied in-furrow followed by a broadcast application of Proline at pegging. Location three had significantly lower yields compared to the other two locations, and some treated plots yielded lower than the untreated control. The in-furrow Proline treatment resulted in the highest yield at this location. Overall, there was little benefit to in-furrow applications of Velum Total in these experiments. However, nematode pressure was relatively low, and Velum Total is more likely to result in a yield response in fields with high nematode pressure. Fungicide-containing products (Proline, Propulse) provided a more consistent yield benefit across locations, suggesting fungal diseases limited yield more than nematodes. Future studies will evaluate Velum Total and other in-furrow products for peanut pest management in fields with high nematode pressure. 477 478 Journal of Nematology, Volume 49, No. 4, December 2017 FROM GENES TO BIOLOGICAL CONTROL: A HIGH-THROUGHPUT SEQUENCING APPROACH TO IDENTIFYING POTENTIAL NEMATODE SUPPRESSIVE-SOIL MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES. Alake, Gideon1,2, P. Timper3, D.L. Wright4, L.W. Duncan5, W.T. Crow1, H.T. Alborn6, T. Mekete1. 1Dept. of Entomology and Nema- tology, University of Florida, FL 32611. 2Dept. of Crop, Soil and Pest Management, Federal University of Technology, PMB 704, Akure, Ondo State, Nigeria. 3USDA ARS, P.O. Box 748, Tifton, GA 31793. 4Dept. of Agronomy, North Florida Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Quincy, FL 32351. 5Entomology and Nematology Dept., Citrus Research and Education Center, University of Florida, Lake Alfred, FL 33850. 6USDA ARS, 1600/1700 Southwest 23rd Drive, Gainesville, FL 32608. Plant-parasitic nematodes are of great concern in global agriculture due to the significant damage they cause to crops and the increasing management costs. Soil is a reservoir of microbial organisms with potentials for application as biological control agents, and new DNA sequencing technologies have made it progressively attractive to screen the microbiological genomic resource in soil. Metagenomic analyses of the soil microbial communities in peanut-producing counties in Northwestern and North Central Florida was conducted by sequencing the bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA and fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) marker genes. The metagenomic DNA was extracted from soil samples and amplified with universal primers targeting the hypervariable regions 4 and 5 (V4-V5) of the 16S rRNA and the fungal ITS2. Here we report genomic information we garnered from analyses of intra- and inter-field soil microbial community diversities, their relative abundances as well as their functional significance. We demonstrate that a high-throughput DNA sequencing approach coupled with appropriate bioinformatic tools can generate relevant synthesis of genomic data into a biologically meaningful form. This work will help the development of a genome-centric predictive framework for understanding and harnessing of potential beneficial soil biota for management of plant-parasitic nematodes. ABILITY OF SAR -SAPONIN AND A BACTERIAL METABOLITE TO REDUCE THE SOYBEAN CYST NEMA- TODE (HETERODERA GLYCINES) AND THE INCIDENCE OF THE SUDDEN DEATH SYNDROME (FUSARIUM VIRGULIFORME) Aljaafri, Weasam Adnan1, G.W. Lawrence1, Shien Lu1, V.P. Klink2, D.H. Long3, and K.S. Lawrence4. 1Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology & Plant Pathology. 2Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, 3Albaugh, LLC, 4060 Dawkins Farm Drive, Olive Branch, MS, 38654.4Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849. Experiments were conducted to examine the ability of biological seed treatments to reduce the Soybean Cyst Nematode and the incidence of Sudden Death Syndrome. Biological seed treatments included SAR-Saponin, Bacterial metabolite, fungicides, and untreated seeds as control treatments. These seed treatments were used in test that included seed with no treatment, H. glycines alone, Fusarium virguliforme alone, and H. glycines + F. virguliforme. Seed applied products were received from and treated by Albaugh, LLC. Seeds were planted in 500 cm3 of a steam sterilized sand: soil mix (1:1/ V: V) in 10 cm dia clay pots, and placed in a 2.54 cm depression in each pot with 2500 eggs of H. glycines, and 1g of F. virguliforme. Tests included the standards Abamectin and Fluopyram. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with five replications. Parameter measured included effects on plant growth, nematode life stage development and the incidence of SDS. At 60 days, the biological seed treatments produced no negative plant growth effects. Treatments that included bacterial metabolite and SAR-Saponin significantly reduced SCN cyst, juveniles, and eggs compared to the control. SAR-Saponin, and bacterial metabolite were statistically similar to the standards abamectin