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.
#Entomopathogenic #nematodes are soil-dwelling roundworms that can #parasitize and kill fall armyworms with no risks to people or the #environment, but application can be tricky because the nematodes are susceptible to desiccation and UV radiation from sunlight.
Patrick Fallet and colleagues report success using an innocuous #biodegradable gel made from #carboxymethyl #cellulose that protects #nematodes and keeps them hydrated. The study is published in the journal #PNAS #Nexus.
