In the French West Indies, the productivity of export banana plantations is adversely affected by plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) including the endoparasitic species Radopholus similis (Pratylenchidae). In the last decades, control of PPNs was mainly based upon repeated applications of carbamate or rganophosphate
nematocides that are potentially toxic for human health and the environment. This paper describes a prophylaxis-based strategy, combining soil and plant sanitation that was developed in recent years to reduce dependence on chemical nematocides.