The amount and type of damage incurred by R. reniformis often depends on the host species and/or cultivar as well as the nematode population. General symptoms include reduced root systems, leaf chlorosis, overall stunting of host plants, and reduced yields and plant longevity. Female nematodes and their eggs are often visible when plant roots are viewed under a dissecting microscope.
R. reniformis moves slowly through the soil under its own power. The overall distance traveled by a nematode probably does not exceed one meter per season. Nematodes move faster when soil pores are lined with a thin (a few micrometers) film of water than when soil is waterlogged. In addition, nematodes can be easily transported by anything that moves or carries particles of soil. Farm equipment, irrigation, flood or drainage water, animals (including humans), and dust storms spread nematodes in local areas, while over long distances nematodes are spread primarily with farm produce and nursery plants .
