March 2021

Nematodes and their management

Nematodes are invertebrates which infest a large number of animals and plants.

Nematodes have a sturdy and non-deformable cuticle which results as a protective hydrostatic skeleton consisting of collagen.

The cavity of the body is filled with a fluid which determines the turgor and thus the functioning, as a hydrostatic skeleton. This fluid acts as transporter of the circulatory and respiratory systems that are not differentiated.

Nematodes can attack the root system of the crops by the stiletto structure and have sensory organs located on the head, just above the stiletto, which allow them to identify and localize root exudates and thus to reach the roots itself.

FANTAC L is effective in contrasting the nematodes that infest the soils thanks to its composition which has direct and indirect actions on them.

FANTAC L is obtained from vegetal extracts with a high concentration of polyphenols.

The particularity of the product is that the raw materials used for the extraction of the polyphenols are crops naturally resistant to nematodes attack.

The polyphenols which constitute FANTAC L are responsible for stimulating the sensory organs of the nematodes thus creating confusion in their orientation. In this way, the nematodes reach more difficultly the crops because they begin to move in an erratic way into the soil without identify the roots (direct action).

Consequently, a high percentage of nematodes which populate the soil is not able to reach the roots and spread into the medium. These nematodes can suffer for food stress/scarcity and thus die for food starvation. The consequence is a reduction of the nematode populations (first indirect action).

Being the nematodes disseminated in a bigger volume of soil and being weaker due to food starvation, they do not only depose the eggs far from the roots, but also depose a lower number of eggs (second indirect action).

FANTAC L has also an effect on the eggs and specifically on their hatching. Indeed, the polyphenols contained in FANTAC L create a particular environment which limits the hatching of the deposed eggs, thus contributing to limiting the proliferation of the nematodes and reducing their resettlement (third indirect action).

For more info search FANTAC L in the Products section - category Specialty Products and download the Technical data sheet.