Open research questions in Nematode management and characterization studies

What the literature leaves open

• Despite the extensive body of research on botanical nematicides, critical gaps remain in the field. While numerous plant species with documented nematicidal activity, active compounds with strong in vitro profiles, and mechanistic hypotheses have been reported, robust evidence demonstrating consistent translation of these findings into sustained, practical nematode control under agronomically relevant conditions is lacking. Future research should prioritize addressing this translational gap. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15101502 Plants 2026, 15, 1502 29 of 37 Mechanistically, the field needs multi-omics studies in the species that cause the most agricultural damage, principally the major Meloidogyne taxa that inflict economically signif- icant losses across vegetable, fruit, and arable crop systems. Most of what is known at the molecular level comes from model organisms or from B. xylophilus, and extrapolating those results across taxonomically distinct plant-parasitic groups introduces uncertainty that currently cannot be quantified. Integrating transcriptomics, metabolomics, and proteomics with targeted biochemical validation would provide the kind of causal evidence from phyto- chemical exposure to specific molecular targets to measurable biological outcomes that the field presently lacks for most compounds. Hypotheses generated from docking should be viewed as preliminary leads that still require experimental validation, not findings in them- selves; enzyme assays, receptor binding studies, or genetic interference approaches should follow docking predictions before those predictions are cited as mechanistic evidence. Formulation deserves recognition as a primary research challenge, not a technical afterthought. The main factors limiting the performance of botanical nematicides in soil are already well recognized: volatility, chemical instability, poor water solubility, adsorption, and microbial breakdown. Technologies that can address these barriers, such as microen- capsulation, nanoemulsification, and controlled-release matrices, have shown real promise in laboratory settings, but the critical evaluation work must happen at the scale of real soil, over complete crop cycles, at economically defensible application rates. It is also important to understand how different formulation choices influence non-target organisms and the environmental fate of these products, not just nematode suppression statistics. The compositional complexity of botanical extracts is underexplored as a design op- portunity. If synergistic interactions between extract components can be identified through systematic mixture-design experiments informed by chemical profiling and mechanistic knowledge, it may be possible to build formulations that achieve effective nematode sup- pression at lower total doses. This could help reduce phytotoxicity risk and limit exposure of non-target organisms, while potentially bringing some materials within a regulatory framework that crude high-dose extracts could not meet. Ecological integration should become standard practice in efficacy evaluations. Sup- pressing a nematode population by a statistically significant margin tells you something, but it does not tell you whether the treatment maintained the soil community functions that support long-term crop productivity, whether it harmed free-living nematodes that contribute to nutrient cycling, or whether it disrupted mycorrhizal associations that affect plant nutrient uptake. Studies that evaluate multiple trophic levels together with functional indicators alongside population metrics provide a more defensible basis for recommending a product than nematode counts alone. Finally, moving from discovery to practical deployment will require more deliberate consideration of regulatory requirements from early in the research process. In the EU and the US, registration timelines for novel biopesticide active ingredients can extend to four years, with requirements for extensive safety and environmental data. Research programs that operate without awareness of these demands until the point of potential commercial development waste both time and resources. Interdisciplinary teams combining chemistry, nematology, formulation science, ecotoxicology, and regulatory expertise are not a luxury but a practical necessity for any research aimed at producing products rather than papers.

  Botanical Extracts for the Control of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes: Diversity, Modes of Action, Advanced Formulations, and Efficacy · 2026 · DOI

• Treatment chambers may also contain transition zones where the electric field is insufficient to induce electroporation yet still contributes to overall energy input and heating18-20.

  Field strength and frequency-dependent effects of pulsed electric fields on soilborne nematodes, pathogens, and weeds · 2026 · DOI

• Future research should focus on testing different application methods, evaluating product combinations, and exploring new microbiological agents ecosystems (Machado, 2022).

  NEMATICIDES FOR CONTROL OF HETERODERA GLYCINES UNDER IN VITRO AND GREENHOUSE CONDITIONS · 2026 · DOI

• pinaster may retain some capacity for defence even when JA biosynthesis is partially inhibited by DIECA, though the mechanisms underlying this response remain unclear and direct evidence of JA-independent path- way activation is lacking in the present dataset.

  Species-dependent wiring of jasmonate signalling determines pine defence efficiency against Bursaphelenchus xylophilus · 2026 · DOI

• Future work will focus on three key directions: (i) developing standardized exogenous metabolite delivery platforms (e. Consequently, an unambiguous direct causal link remains to be fully solidified, and whether ROS accumulation represents a pri- mary mitochondrial event or a secondary consequence of ATP depletion warrants further distinction.

  Disruption of Energy Metabolism, Locomotion, and Stress Tolerance by BxPDHB Silencing in Bursaphelenchus xylophilus: Implications for RNAi-Based Control of Pine Wilt Disease · 2026 · DOI

• Future studies should prioritize under-researched regions and species, exploring interdisciplinary approaches to examine pest and disease dynamics comprehensively. While considerable research has been conducted in Asia, particularly in India, China, and the Philippines, there remains a significant gap in knowledge regarding African rice production systems.

  Rice Pests and Diseases Around the World: Literature-Based Assessment with Emphasis on Africa and Asia · 2025 · DOI

• This research provides some new insights into the Meloidogyne and plant relationships in mature deciduous woody trees (almond grafted into the hybrid rootstock GF-677) with different levels of Meloidogyne density in roots and their interaction with soil microbiota, which has not been explored to our knowledge.

  Diversity of microbial, biocontrol agents and nematode abundance on a susceptible Prunus rootstock under a Meloidogyne root gradient infection · 2024 · DOI

• Our results provide novel insights on the relationship and interaction between ESB and NTF and inspire further work into the function and the relevance of individual ESB, including how to enter and exit NTF cells.

  Endosymbiotic bacteria within the nematode-trapping fungus Arthrobotrys musiformis and their potential roles in nitrogen cycling · 2024 · DOI

• Thus, further investigations are warranted to explore the long-term effects of microbial inoculant application on soil physicochemical properties and crop yield, facili- tating a comprehensive understanding of dynamic changes in microbial communities and alterations in functional genes within timothy-growing areas.

  Effects of Microbial Inoculants Combined with Chemical Fertilizer on Growth and Soil Nutrient Dynamics of Timothy (Phleum pratense L.) · 2024 · DOI

• Currently, there is no standardized criterion for determin- Forests 2024, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 11 of 14 Figure 6. Currently, there is no standardized criterion for deter-mining nematode mortality, leading to inconsistent evaluations of nematicidal efficacy for Forests 2024, 15, 1699 11 of 13 ing nematode mortality, leading to inconsistent evaluations of nematicidal efficacy for the same drug.

  Tetramycin B3: An Effective and Biological Nematicide for Bursaphelenchus xylophilus · 2024 · DOI

• However, the efficacy of these products under field conditions must be validated, and their applicability as part of integrated pest management strategies should be investigated.

  The Effectiveness of Some Biostimulants Against Meloidogyne incognita in Tomato Plants · 2026 · DOI

• Phenolic Root Exudate and Tissue Compounds Vary Widely among Temperate Forest Tree Species and Have Contrasting Effects on Soil Microbial Respiration.

  Advances in Plant–Soil Feedback Driven by Root Exudates in Forest Ecosystems · 2024 · DOI

• In addition, future research should focus on long-term and multi-factorial field studies to better capture the combined effects of climate drivers.

  Climate Change Impacts on Plant-Parasitic Nematodes in Agroecosystems · 2026 · DOI

• Plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs) could also modulate host microbial communities, but the processes involved remain to be clarified.

  An antifungal effector from a plant-parasitic nematode modulates host fungal community composition and supports ecological fitness · 2026 · DOI

• Fagopyrum tataricum, a phenolic-rich edible and medicinal plant, has antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer properties, yet the impact of RKN infection on its rhizosphere microbiome remains unclear.

  Rhizosphere Microbiome Responses to Root-Knot Nematode Infection in Fagopyrum tataricum: Diversity, Network Dynamics, and Potential Biocontrol Taxa · 2026 · DOI

• CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that reproductive strategy and/or genome ploidy may influence centromere organization, although it remains to be determined whether these factors are causative or simply correlated with differences in centromere organization.

  Reproductive mode and ploidy are associated with distinct organization of clustered centromeric regions in Meloidogyne nematodes · 2026 · DOI

• Trait-mediated interactions across trophic levels drive trophic cascades in macroecological systems, yet their relevance in microbially dominated soil ecosystems remains underexplored.

  Pseudomonadota bridge cross-trophic interactions to suppress plant pathogens · 2026 · DOI

• Biological control by soil predatory mites (Mesostigmata) contributes to important ecosystem services, yet their prey selection and trophic roles in complex soil environments remain poorly understood.

  Dual stable isotope labelling disentangles cryptic predator-prey relationships in the soil food web · 2026 · DOI

• As typical indicators of soil health, the response mechanisms of nematode community structure and energy flow to wild fruit forest degradation remain unclear.

  Soil nitrogen loss reduces food web energy flow via nematode community simplification during wild fruit forest degradation in the Tianshan Mountains, China · 2026 · DOI

• Climate-driven treeline advance is fundamentally restructuring alpine ecosystems, yet its consequences for belowground functioning and soil biotic communities remain poorly understood.

  Moisture-driven restructuring of nematode energy channels orchestrates soil multifunctionality during treeline migration · 2026 · DOI

• Despite its ecological importance, the decadal-scale recovery trajectories of soil nematode communities following fire disturbances remain poorly understood.

  Soil nematode community dynamics and drivers along a 30-year post-fire chronosequence in subtropical mixed evergreen-deciduous broadleaf forests · 2026 · DOI

• Results suggest that protected areas buffer species loss and foster richness gain across all climate scenarios, although their effectiveness remains uncertain.

  Predicted effects of climate change on the spatial distribution of soil nematodes at a regional scale · 2026 · DOI

• Soil biodiversity is essential for the provision of ecosystem services, yet the response of belowground communities to climate change remains unclear and poorly integrated into conservation policies.

  Predicted effects of climate change on the spatial distribution of soil nematodes at a regional scale · 2026 · DOI

• Despite their importance, the mechanisms underlying the assembly of soil nematode communities in agricultural ecosystems, particularly how these mechanisms vary across different spatial scales, remain poorly understood.

  Scale-dependent dispersal limitation in soil nematode community assembly in sorghum agroecosystems · 2026 · DOI

• Soil nematodes play a vital role in facilitating key belowground ecological processes, however, it remains poorly understood how different plant phenological functional types regulate their community composition and function in tropical forest soils.

  Plant phenological functional types shape soil nematode abundance and function by regulating aboveground biomass and soil dissolved organic carbon in tropical Xishuangbanna · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Nematode management and characterization studies

• Pesticide-free agriculture as a new paradigm for research · Agronomy for Sustainable Development · 2022 · 329 citations
• Emerging strategies for precision microbiome management in diverse agroecosystems · Nature Plants · 2021 · 307 citations
• Methane Emission from Rice Fields · BioScience · 1993 · 260 citations
• Benefits to Plant Health and Productivity From Enhancing Plant Microbial Symbionts · Frontiers in Plant Science · 2021 · 231 citations
• Phylum Nematoda: a classification, catalogue and index of valid genera, with a census of valid species · Zootaxa · 2022 · 166 citations
• Pine wilt disease: A global threat to forestry · Plant Pathology · 2024 · 113 citations
• Exploring the plant microbiome: A pathway to climate-smart crops · Cell · 2025 · 100 citations
• Finding Time for Collaboration · Educational leadership · 1993 · 94 citations
• Biocontrol of plant parasitic nematodes by bacteria and fungi: a multi-omics approach for the exploration of novel nematicides in sustainable agriculture · Frontiers in Microbiology · 2024 · 79 citations
• Possible mechanisms underlying abundance and diversity responses of nematode communities to plant diversity · Ecosphere · 2017 · 76 citations

Most recent work

• Root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita uses secondary-metabolite-mediated soil microbiome shifts to locate host plants · Nature Plants · 2026
• Pseudomonadota bridge cross-trophic interactions to suppress plant pathogens · The ISME Journal · 2026
• GmSNAP14 : a key contributor to soybean cyst nematode resistance in soybean · New Phytologist · 2026
• Soil nematode community structure and composition along a pomegranate plantation chronosequence in the Loess Plateau · Applied Soil Ecology · 2026
• Ecological intensification of maize-kale systems in Kenya by biofertilization and push-pull management shifts nematode communities · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · 2026
• The potato cyst nematode Globodera pallida overcomes major potato resistance through selection on standing variation at a single locus · New Phytologist · 2026
• Impact of cover cropping on root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus spp.) and nematode communities in Narcissus fields · Applied Soil Ecology · 2026
• Identification of genes involved in the tomato Mi-1-mediated immunity to root-knot nematodes parasitism under high temperature · Horticultural Plant Journal · 2026
• Advances, challenges and prospects of holistic Multi-Omic approaches for enhanced protection against parasitic nematodes in food crops · Plant and Soil · 2026
• Design, synthesis, nematicidal activity, and preliminary mechanism of thiazole derivatives through the scaffold hopping strategy · Pest Management Science · 2026

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