La Vera is the principal tobacco growing area in Spain, and one of the most important phytopathological problems on the crop is caused by Meloidogyne spp. A flue-cured tobacco trial was conducted in La Vera to characterize Meloidogyne population dynamics following different cropping techniques. The trial was designed as a two factor split-plot experiment. There were three levels of the main effect: i) application of 1,3 dichloropropene, ii) 1,3 dichloropropene plus fenamiphos application, and iii) a no nematicide control. The sub-plot or second factor consisted to two treatments: i) pull and remove the root systems, or ii) plow out the roots at the end of the season. There were four replications in the experiment. The primary plot consisted of a 50 m2 area and soil samples were collected and analyzed regularly for juvenile nematodes throughout the experiment; second stage juveniles were extracted by a sieve incubation method. The experiment was conducted on a loamy sand soil in 1995 and 1996, and on a second site with the same soil type in 1997 and 1998. M. arenaria was identified in both soils by an isozyme electrophoretic technique. In each year, the greatest number of juveniles in the soil occurred at the end of the season. Soil nematode populations decreased in winter, and ratios of spring/autumn populations were lowest when autumn populations were greatest. Lowest numbers of juveniles were found one month after tobacco transplanting. The first generation of nematodes appeared 46-60 days following transplanting, and at least two generations were produced during the crop season. In general, population evolution was similar for all treatments, but significant differences were found in nematode numbers.