Worm-fighting technology could revolutionise subsistence farming

A new antiparasitic technology has the potential to significantly reduce crop losses in the developing world, boosting the incomes of subsistence farmers.

Parasitic ‘nematodes’ are microscopic worms which infect crop plants from the soil and are responsible for a 12.3% reduction in global agricultural productivity — a loss of around £100 billion annually.

The research involves using ‘peptide mimics’ — versions of the parasites’ own brain chemistry — to confuse the real parasites and, ultimately, render them impotent. The project, conducted by researchers from Northern Ireland, has been awarded a Phase II Grand Challenges Exploration grant of US$1 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It will be developed in Belfast and proceed to trials in Kenya.

The project will focus on banana and plantain, which are cultivated across 130 countries, making them the eighth most produced staple in the world. The fruits are often grown by smallholders in the developing world and can account for up to 30% of a farmer’s income. The crop is also highly susceptible to a variety of plant parasitic nematodes, which typically reduce yields by 30–50%.

The lead researcher on the project, Dr Johnathan Dalzell from Queen’s Institute for Global Food Security, said: “This project builds on our previous research, where we developed a novel way of interfering with parasitic nematode host-finding behaviour. Through our lab work we have identified a family of peptide mimics, which specifically and potently interfere with their neurobiology, disorientating the parasites so they can’t find the host plant. They then die quickly through lack of food. Importantly, these peptide mimics appear to have no impact on non-target animals. This is a clean and robust approach to parasite control.”