Ecology of plant-parasitic nematodes, their host plants and antagonists in European coastal sand dunes: training opportunity for ecologists and agricultural biocontrol researchers (EcoTrain)

EcoTrain aims to examine the regulationof plant-parasitic nematodes in natural ecosystems, which processes contribute most to nematode control, and how predictable they are. The concepts and technology resulting from this study will encourage research into multitrophic interactions in natural soils, which seriously lags behind research on abovegroundmultitrophic interactions. Basic insights resulting from EcoTrain will also bene¿ t research on the biological control of nematodes in production systems, which is currently based mainly on trial and error. Speci¿ c objectives of EcoTrain are: i/ to examine and compare potential mechanisms that control population densities of plant parasitic nematodes in nature, ii) to bridge and stimulate scienti¿ c co-operation between phytopathologistsworking in productionsystems and ecologists working in natural environments, iii) to set up a trans-European network of agronomists and ecologists with a mutual interest in soil phytopathology and iv) to stimulate biological control of plant-parasitic nematodes in agriculture by learning how this works in nature. EcoTrain will use coastal sand dunes of Europe as a natural model system. These dunes provide one of the best case studies on interactions of natural plants and their parasitic nematodes. The natural occurrence of dominant dune grasses in monospeci¿ c stands and the heavy soil disturbance makes sand dunes a good model for agricultural production systems. Website address: http://www.nioo.knaw.nl/projects/ecotrain/index.htm.