A nematode gel to protect crops in Africa and Asia

The fall armyworm is a destructive corn pest that recently arrived in Africa and Asia from the Americas and began causing major yield losses and increased use of insecticides, which pose environmental and human health risks.

How nematodes outsmart the defenses of pests

The western corn rootworm, one of the world's most damaging maize pests, can use plant defense compounds to defend itself against its own natural enemies, so-called entomopathogenic nematodes. However, the nematodes can become ...

Pheromones give nematodes a boost in controlling pests

Beneficial nematodes are used as biological control agents to fight a variety of insect pests that severely damage crops. However, in many cases the nematodes don't measure up to other control methods such as certain chemical ...

Maize pest exploits plant defense compounds to protect itself

The western corn rootworm continues to be on the rise in Europe. Why attempts to biologically target this crop pest by applying entomopathogenic nematodes have failed, can now be explained by the amazing defense strategy ...

Using venomous proteins to make insect milkshakes

Nematodes are microscopic worms that fall into an often ignored corner of the animal kingdom. While many of them are parasitic, meaning they live inside other organisms, they also help control diseases in humans and kill ...

Compound from bacteria could be useful against pecan scab

Plant pathogens can cause disease and yield loss in many crops, including nut trees such as pecan, known scientifically as Carya illinoinensis. Pecan scab, caused by the plant-pathogenic fungus Fusicladium effusum, is the ...