Rice white-tip nematode (Aphelenchoides besseyi) is a nematode pest. It is a native of most rice growing areas and was first detected in Southern US in 1935.
A. besseyi feeds on the plant tissue externally. This nematode is most often associated with a disease in which the leaves of the rice plant turn white in the meristematic regions followed by necrosis. These nematodes can also cause stunting and sterility with yield losses of up to 50% reported.
For more information about this plant pest, see the CABI data sheet.