Communicating With Nematodes for Better Farming
Consumers demand safe, eco-friendly, sustainable solutions for the food they eat because they are aware of the adverse effects of synthetic pesticides. This has led to restrictions and bans on the $56 Billion synthetic pesticide market, but farmers still have to control pests for sustainable food production.
The $4.5B global bio-pesticide market is growing at 14 percent due to increased demand from organic food production. What can we learn from nature?
UF Innovate | The Hub and UF Innovate | Sid Martin Biotech alum Pheronym, an Ag-biotech pest control company, was one of the nine finalist teams for the 2020 Ray of Hope Prize®, presented by the Biomimicry Institute and the Ray C. Anderson Foundation. Pheronym increases the effectiveness of commercially available beneficial nematodes (microscopic roundworms) by tapping into their natural communication platform, pheromones. By telling nematodes to be more effective and efficient predators, they are allowing for a widespread adoption of a proven organic farming technique.