New research in Japan finds slime mold metabolites are a promising, eco

By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Field Leader, a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and Soybean Check-off and the Office of Public Relations, Sophia University

Japanese researchers found slime mold secretes organic compounds that repel parasitic nematodes from plant roots without harming soil fertility.

Root-knot nematodes cause widespread damage to various crops, but chemical pesticides that control them can also severely harm soil fertility. Soil-dwelling slime mold secretes compounds that repel these nematodes, but their specific nature was unknown. At Sophia University in Japan, researchers using novel culturing techniques have identified 14 compounds of high potency in repelling nematodes, paving the way for the development of non-toxic control methods.

Root-knot nematodes (RKNs) are wor