This archive report was first published on 22 June 2020.
On June 22, 2020, researchers made a significant breakthrough in the fight against potato cyst nematodes (PCN), a destructive pest that has been causing significant losses to potato farmers.
The breakthrough involves the use of naturally occurring chemicals in crop roots to induce 'suicidal hatching' of PCN, effectively eradicating the pest.
PCN, a microscopic worm, was first reported in Kenya in 2015 and has since been identified as an invasive pest that affects most cultivated crops.
According to studies by the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (Icipe) and partners, PCN causes up to 80% yield loss in potatoes, making it a significant challenge for farmers.
Prof Baldwyn Torto, head of the Behavioural and Chemical Ecology Unit at Icipe, notes that the management of PCN is particularly challenging due to the pest's ability to survive in the soil as tiny protective cysts that can contain up to 600 eggs and remain dormant for up to 20 years.
However, researchers have found that PCN eggs only hatch in the presence of suitable host plants of the Solanaceae family, such as potato, tomato, and African nightshade.
By inducing hatching of PCN juveniles in the absence of host crops, the researchers aim to lead to their eventual death – 'suicidal hatch'.
Juliet Ochola from Kenyatta University, who was involved in the research, believes that the new findings will have a significant impact on smallholder farmers who rely on potato cultivation.
The breakthrough is particularly timely, given the region's ongoing battle with the Covid-19 pandemic, which has further exacerbated the devastating impact of PCN on farmers.
