A new type of small nematode discovered by researchers can control agricultural crop pests (Getty)

A team of researchers at the University of California, Riverside has discovered a new type of small nematode that can control agricultural crop pests in warm, humid places.

According to the study published by the BioN journal, which specializes in parasitology, these worms can be used as insecticides to protect agricultural crops instead of chemical pesticides. They are also not harmful to humans or other mammals, can be spread on crops, and are easy to purchase.

Biological pesticides instead of chemical ones

Pesticides are chemicals that prevent insects, weeds, and fungi from damaging crops, and farmers also use them to increase the amount of crops they can produce. But their excessive use poses a threat to farmers' health and public health.

These pesticides can also cause great harm to plants, and this damage is manifested in a change in the color of the leaves, or the intensity of transpiration represented by the exit of water in the form of vapor from the parts of the plant exposed to the air, especially the leaves, stems, flowers, or roots, through the plant pores, which will be It has an impact on the health of the consumer, as these pesticides can cause many disease symptoms, including their effect on the nervous system, as well as cancer, especially liver cancer. These damages come through the accumulation of chemical pesticides in plants and then animals that humans feed on.

Excessive use of chemical pesticides poses a danger to farmers' health, public health, and plant health (Getty)

On the other hand, information about the harms of excessive use of chemical pesticides indicates that these pesticides do not distinguish between harmful and beneficial organisms, and kill harmful and beneficial insects together, which causes an imbalance in the natural ecological balance of agricultural environments.

Hence, researchers turned to alternatives to chemical pesticides, by using what are known as biopesticides. This technique emerged in which some microorganisms such as bacteria are used to combat pests that attack crops, including nematodes available in agricultural soil.

The importance of nematodes in soil

Nematodes - whose scientific name is "nematode" - are microscopic round worms whose size varies from 0.2 mm to a few metres. They are among the most abundant animals on Earth. They are found in soil and waterways and are often used in pest control because they naturally parasitize on various... Insect pests such as weevil larvae or larvae that live in the soil.

A microscopic image of nematodes as they spread in soil and waterways (Getty)

Nematodes consist of several types, such as Ascaris and Ancylostoma, as well as Steneernema worms, which were first discovered in the 1920s and have long been used in agriculture to control insect parasites without pesticides. The current study rediscovers a type of nematode that can be used as an insecticide.

Nematodes play a crucial role in agricultural soil. They constitute important vital indicators of the health of the soil ecosystem, as they are responsible for the production of about 19% of soil ammonia.

A new type of worm

According to his statement included in the statement issued by the University of California, Riverside, the head of the research team, Adler Dillman, a professor of nematode pathology at the University of California, says: “Although there are more than 100 species of Steynernema worms, we are always looking for new species, because each of them has Unique features, and some may be better in certain climates or with certain insects. This new species was discovered in soil samples under the longan tree in Thailand. It is small in size, measuring only about 0.04 inches in length. To use this biopesticide, we spray trillions of them on crops every general".

There are more than 100 species of nematodes, but some are better for working in certain climates or with certain insects (Getty)

Dillman added: “The worm that was discovered as a new biopesticide has been named Steyanernema adamsii after its discoverer, Byron Adams, the American biologist and head of the Department of Biology at Brigham Young University; it could have clear applications for alleviating the human suffering caused by insect insects.”

Dillman believes, “The discoverer of this worm, Byron Adams, helped improve our understanding of the types of nematodes and their important role in the environment and recycling nutrients in the soil. He was also my college advisor and the person who introduced me to nematodes, and this discovery seemed like a fitting tribute to him.”

Source: Al Jazeera + websites