Nematodes cause $157 billion in crop damage annually, largely because traditional pesticides fail to reach plant roots, where the round worms do their damage. In the lab, tobacco mild green mosaic virus nanoparticles carrying a nematicide dispersed better when applied to the soil surface, resulting in more nematicide reaching the root level. The strategy could decrease the amount of pesticides applied to crops, reducing the risk of runoff, the amount of chemicals in produce and grains, and the overall cost of nematode control.
