GLOBODERA PALLIDA (PALE CYST NEMATODE, PCN) CAN CAUSE UP TO 80% YIELD LOSS OF POTATOES AND UNDERMINE THE ECONOMIC SECURITY OF RURAL AREAS. THE STRATEGY TO DATE BY USDA-APHIS AND ISDA HAS BEEN TO REGULATE NEMATODE-INFESTED AND ASSOCIATED FIELDS THROUGH CONTAINMENT POLICY AND FUMIGATION WITH METHYL BROMIDE. ALTHOUGH EFFECTIVE, THE USE OF METHYL BROMIDE HAS BEEN HALTED, BECAUSE OF TOXIC BROMINE RESIDUE IN FUMIGATED SOILS. HOST RESISTANCE IS AN EFFICIENT WAY TO CONTROL INVASIVE NEMATODES SUCH AS PCN, AND PREVENT ECONOMIC LOSSES. THE TRAP CROP SOLANUM SISYMBRIIFOLIUM HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE NEARLY AS EFFECTIVE AS POTATO AT INDUCING EGG HATCHING AND IS FULLY RESISTANT TO POTATO CYST NEMATODES. FURTHERMORE, PCN REPRODUCTION IS NEGLIGIBLE ON A SUSCEPTIBLE POTATO PLANTED SUBSEQUENT TO THE TRAP CROP WHICH INDICATES ITS POTENTIAL AS A TRAP CROP FOR USE IN ROTATION WITH A RESISTANT POTATO. THE GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH PROGRAM IS TO IDENTIFY AND IMPROVE UPON EFFECTIVE BIOLOGICAL ALTERNATIVES TO THIS ENVIRONMENTALLY DAMAGING CHEMICAL. THIS PROJECT PROPOSES: 1) TO DEVELOP POTATO GERMPLASM AND VARIETIES RESISTANT TO PCN; 2) USE RESISTANCE IN ROTATION WITH THE TRAP CROP SOLANUM SISYMBRIIFOLIUM TO ERADICATE PCN, PREVENT SPREAD OF PCN AND PROVIDE AN ECONOMIC RETURN TO GROWERS; 3) CONDUCT AN ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT TO DETERMINE COST OF DEPLOYMENT OF COMBINED TRAP CROP AND RESISTANT VARIETIES COMPARED TO MEBR APPLICATION; AND LASTLY, WE PLAN TO CONDUCT EXTENSION AND OUTREACH ACTIVITIES TO EFFECTIVELY TRANSFER THESE NEW TECHNOLOGICAL APPROACHES INTO USE BY STAKEHOLDERS.