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Researchers at the University of California, Riverside discovered that Steinema Adamsi, a new insect-killing nematode species, offers a promising biological control option against crop pests in difficult climates. This discovery adds a valuable tool to sustainable agriculture and pest management, and has potential applications in understanding ecological and evolutionary dynamics. Steinema Adamsi To be released from the body of a deceased host. Credit: Adler Dillman / UCR
A new species of nematode has the potential to protect crops without the use of pesticides.
Scientists at the University of California, Riverside have identified a new substance. seed A small insect that can infect and exterminate insects. These nematodes, known as nematodes, offer a potential solution for managing crop pests in warm, humid regions where other beneficial nematodes struggle to survive.
The new species is a member of the nematode family known as Steinernema, which has long been used in agriculture to control insect parasites without the use of pesticides. Steinema is not harmful to humans or other mammals and was first discovered in the 1920s.
Contribution to agricultural pest control
“We spray trillions of drugs on crops every year, and they’re easily available for purchase,” said Adler Dillman, a UCR nematology professor whose lab made the discovery. “There are more than 100 species of Steinernema, each with its own characteristics, so we are always looking for new ones. Some may be better in certain climates or with certain insects. .”
Dillman’s lab wanted to better understand the different Steinernema species, so they requested samples from colleagues in Thailand. “We did that DNA After analyzing the samples, we found that they were not what we requested. Genetically, it was unlike anything previously described,” Dillman said.
Dillman and his colleagues have now described this new species. parasitology journal. Almost invisible to the naked eye, they are about half the width of a human hair and less than 1 millimeter long. “Thousands of them in the flask look like dusty water,” Dillman said.
they named the new species Steinema Adamsi Named after American biologist Byron Adams, dean of the Department of Biology at Brigham Young University.
A close-up of a new species of nematode, Steinernema adamsi, under a microscope. Credit: Adler Dillman / UCR
“Adams helped further our understanding of nematode species and their important role in ecology and recycling of nutrients in soil,” Dillman said. “He was also my undergraduate supervisor and the person who introduced me to C. elegans. This seemed a fitting tribute to him.”
Adams, who is currently researching nematodes in Antarctica, said he was honored to have such a “cool” species include his name in the scientific literature.
Unique features and future research
“The biology of this animal is really interesting,” Adams said. “Besides the obvious use of alleviating human suffering caused by pests, there are ecological and evolutionary processes involved in the complex negotiations that occur between parasites, pathogens, their hosts, and their environmental microbiomes. It also teaches us a lot about.”
Learning about the life cycle of these nematodes as an undergraduate is what sparked Dillman’s love for nematode research. When nematodes are young, their development is stopped and they live in the soil with their mouths closed. At that stage, they wander the soil looking for insects to infect. Once it finds a victim, it enters the mouth or anus and excretes highly pathogenic bacteria.
“A parasite that excretes something pathogenic to kill its host. This is abnormal to begin with,” Dillman said. “It’s like something out of a James Cameron movie.”
The insect dies within 48 hours of infection. “This basically liquefies the insect, and then what’s left is the sac that was its body. There are 10 to 15 nematodes inside the host, and after 10 days there are 80,000 new individuals in the soil. “We’re looking for new insects to infect,” Dillman said.
Researchers are confident that S. adamsi kills insects. They confirmed this by placing some of it in a container with wax moths. “We administered a very low dose of the insects and the moths were dead in two days,” Dillman said.
In the future, researchers hope to discover the unique properties of this nematode. “We don’t yet know whether it can tolerate heat, UV light, and desiccation. And we don’t yet know the range of insects it can infect.
However, S. adamsi is a member of a genus that can infect hundreds of insect species. Therefore, researchers are confident that even if it turns out to be a specialist or generalist parasite of multiple types of insects, it will still have some benefit.
“This is interesting because this discovery adds a new insecticide and could tell us new and interesting biology,” Dillman said. “Also, because they live in warm, humid climates, they can be good parasites for insects in environments where currently commercially available orchard nematodes cannot thrive.”
References: “Steinernema adamsin” sp. (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae), a new entomopathogenic nematode from Thailand” by Anil Baniya, Chanakan subkrasae, Jiranun Ardopilin, Kyle Anesko, Apichat Vitta, Adler A. R. Dillman, February 9, 2024 parasitology journal.
DOI: 10.1645/23-60
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