Microscopic soil worms that attack plant roots cost growers billions, and the old chemical fixes are disappearing. This review argues that healthier soil microbes, gene editing, RNA-based sprays, and faster approval of low-risk biological products can replace them.
1
Biological control products have strong safety records and scalable production, but regulatory and market hurdles slow their adoption.
2
Suppressive microbial consortia, validated delivery systems, and diagnostics can shift soils toward durable nematode suppression.
3
RNA interference target discovery for perennial crops, paired with transgrafting, and affordable RNA-based biopesticides offer new nematode control options, while genome editing that mirrors natural allelic variation could warrant streamlined oversight.
mail
Weekly plant science — one email, Saturdays.
Check your inbox to confirm — link expires in 24 hours.
Something went wrong — please try again.
Too many signup attempts from your network. Try again in an hour, or email hello@plant.news.