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Iowa State scientists discover how nematodes attack plants
Iowa State University plant pathologists have made a breakthrough in deciphering how cyst nematodes infect plants, like soybeans.
There are several types of cyst nematodes, which are plant-parasitic microscopic roundworms that feed on plant cells by penetrating the host plant’s roots.
In Iowa, the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the most costly and poses a serious annual threat to soybean yield. SCN is considered to be the most serious pathogenic threat of soybeans and is estimated to reduce returns to U.S. soybean producers by close to one billion dollars annually.
Brownfield visited with Thomas Baum, chair of Iowa State’s plant pathology and microbiology department, who has been working with associate scientist Tarek Hewezi on the research.
Link to Iowa State news release
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