A.M. El-Sagheer1 and M.M.M. Abd-Elgawad2*
Agricultural Zoology and Nematology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Al-Azhar University, Assiut 71524, Egypt; (2) Plant Pathology Department, National Research Centre, Dokki 12622, Giza, Egypt.
*Email address of the corresponding author: [email protected]
Plant-parasitic nematodes represent a formidable threat to global food security, inflicting substantial economic losses on agricultural production worldwide. While traditional chemical nematicides have been the primary management strategy, their environmental pollution and regulatory restrictions have accelerated the search for biological alternatives. This comprehensive review explores unconventional biological control approaches that extend beyond traditional biocontrol agents, examining innovative strategies ranging from backing conservation biological control to manipulation of nematode behaviour and disease complexes. This study synthesizes recent advances in microbial and fermentation-based bionematicides, ecological management practices, and cutting-edge technologies that offer sustainable, targeted solutions against these pervasive soil pathogens. By integrating molecular mechanisms with ecological principles, this review aims to provide a transformative perspective on nematode management that emphasizes system-level approaches rather than isolated solutions. It offers readers a fundamentally new framework for developing sustainable nematode control strategies.
Nematodes, conservation biocontrol, microbial antagonists, soil webs, plant–microbe interactions, ecological management
https://doi.org/10.22268/AJPP-001520