The idea of using nematodes for pest control is nothing new. Nearly 70 years ago, R. W. Glaser, Ph.D. of the USDA studied the effects of a nematode parasite on larvae of the Japanese beetle, Popilliajaponica. When large scale field trials with the nematode failed to control the beetle larvae, interest in using nematodes took a back seat to newly developed chemical insecticides. A renewed interest in using nematodes as biological control agents came about in the late 70s and early 80s, and received astrong impetus when the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ruled that insect parasitic nematodes and their symbiotic bacteria did not require EPA registration.
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