- Nematodes are microscopic worms many of which are parasites consisting of roundworms, threadworms and eelworms.
- They have successfully adapted to nearly every ecosystem from marine (salt or brackish water) to fresh water, to soils, and from the tropics to the harsh polar regions, as well as the highest to the lowest of elevations.
- Depending on the species, a nematode may be beneficial or detrimental to plant health.
- The predatory nematodes breed by soaking a specific recipe of leaves and other detritus in water.
- Crop rotation of agricultural plants with nematode-resistant species or varieties is one of the simplest way of managing parasitic infestations of nematodes.
- Why in news? ICAR has declared that pests like nematodes eat away about 30-35% of the annual crop yield in India.