Nematode Trapping Fungi

Plant parasitic nematodes are a very serious pest of crops worldwide.Barworth has access to two commercially produced fungi that when added to the soil, have the potential to control many different species of the pests. The fungi have been successfully trialed in South Africa but nothing is known about their environmental requirements and how successful they would be in UK and European soils.Barworth is equipped to test the fungi in the field but needs a DNA based diagnostic to allow monitoring of the fungi and establish its persistency and activity in different crops and localities worldwide.The market potential is worldwide and may lead to new isolates of the fungi being developed. The fungi are a safe and potentially enduring alternative to chemical pesticides.