A bag that protects your plant from nematodes

A group of researchers from the University of Coimbra's Faculty of Science and Technology (FCTUC) has developed a sac-like coating that protects plant roots from root-knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.). This bag is made of a recycled paper and biodegradable polymers containing biological nematicide obtained from the wastes of walnut fruit processing. From the moment the biological nematicide is released, it acts on the nematodes and causes them to die, thus protecting the roots. In addition, this bag prevents nematodes from contacting the plant's root system and completing its life cycle. This plant protection bag is "ProBag, a new, practical and sustainable system for managing plant parasitic nematodes in traditional and home agriculture." According to the University of Coimbra, this control strategy is "innovative, stable, practical and low-cost" and is being optimized, and fortunately the results obtained are promising. At the end of cultivation, this bag is destroyed by non-target organisms in the soil and physical factors such as temperature and humidity. One of the current evaluation steps is to investigate the effect of ProBag on non-target organisms in the soil to clarify how these organisms contribute to the degradation of the bags.