Bioluminescence may shine light on roundworm secrets

Even though roundworms are nearly too small to be seen, they can pose major problems in corn, soybean, peanut and other crops. Collectively, these roundworms are known as plant-parasitic nematodes, and they cause $173 billion ...

Novel natural compound helps protect against plant parasites

Plant-parasitic nematodes pose a great threat to global agriculture. To replace biohazardous nematicides, it is necessary to identify natural product-based agents to combat root-knot nematodes in agriculture that are equally ...

DNA barcodes decode the world of soil nematodes

The research team of Professor Toshihiko Eki of the Department of Applied Chemistry and Life Science (and Research Center for Agrotechnology and Biotechnology), Toyohashi University of Technology used a next-generation sequencer ...

Plant parasitic nematodes harm pineapple crop yields in Kenya

Pineapple is the third most economically important fruit crop worldwide, after banana and mango. The largest producers are Costa Rica, the Philippines, Brazil and Thailand, which together amount to nearly 50% of total world ...

Fungus application thwarts major soybean pest, study finds

The soybean cyst nematode sucks the nutrients out of soybean roots, causing more than $1 billion in soybean yield losses in the U.S. each year. A new study finds that one type of fungi can cut the nematodes' reproductive ...

Worms discovered in the brain of lizard embryos for the first time

Researchers have discovered nematodes, or worms, in the brains of lizard embryos. This is the first time they have been found in reptile eggs, and it was previously believed that egg laying prevents parasites from being transmitted ...

Expert discusses alternatives to pesticides

A researcher at the University of Arizona has discovered compounds derived from Photorhabdus, an insect pathogenic bacterium, that have antimicrobial and nematicidal properties that can potentially replace chemical pesticides.

page 3 from 5