Pheronym Treated Nematodes Three Times More Effective in Attacking Agricultural Pests

Citrus orchard

Second Peer Reviewed Study to Show Significant Efficacy in Company’s Patented Bio-remediation Technology

Third-party research continues to prove the extraordinary efficacy of our approach to neutralizing agricultural pests through bio-remediation”
— Dr. Fatma Kaplan, CEO of Pheronym
DAVIS, CA, USA, November 12, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Pheronym, an ag-biotech pest control company, announced today the results of a second peer-reviewed study demonstrating the efficacy of their patented Nemastim™ pheromone extract for bioremediation of agricultural pests. In a joint study with the USDA and the University of Idaho, nematodes treated with pheromone extracts increased their effectiveness in invading host insects in soil by 300 percent. Additionally, the nematodes improved their rate of attack within four hours of treatment.

The research, led by Dr. David Shapiro-Ilan with the USDA-Agricultural Research Service Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory, focused on the citrus root weevil, which attacks 270 different plant species including citrus, sugarcane, vegetables, potatoes, strawberries, woody field-grown ornamentals, sweet potatoes, papaya, guava, mahogany and containerized ornamentals. Previous research from the USDA and the University of Idaho focused on the pecan weevil, showing improvements of up to 78 percent in the effectiveness of nematodes attacking their prey. The nematodes treated with pheromone extracts were found to disperse more than non-treated nematodes. In this current study, the investigators discovered that the same pheromones that increased beneficial nematode dispersal also increased infection (invasion into the host insect pest).

“Third-party research continues to prove the extraordinary efficacy of our approach to neutralizing agricultural pests through bio-remediation,” said Dr. Fatma Kaplan, CEO of Pheronym. “The full commercialization of Nemastim™ will put this powerful tool in the hands of the agricultural community.”

“We are pleased to see these impressive results,” said Dr. Ed Lewis, University of Idaho. “This is a truly effective approach and a dramatic improvement over the status quo.”

Look for the article in the December issue of the Journal of Nematology.

About Pheronym:
Award-winning Pheronym is an ag-biotech pest management company that enables sustainable farming through its novel platform of nematode pheromones. Based in Davis, California, the company uses a new pheromone to control plant-parasitic nematodes (microscopic roundworms) in an eco-friendly way and enhances beneficial nematodes’ efficacy to eliminate pest insects.

Karl Cameron Schiller
Pheronym, Inc.
+1 352-283-6967
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