Plant scientists a the University of Missouri believe they've found the key to preventing billions of dollars in losses to soybean crops around the globe.
In a recent Science Magazine publications, researcher Melissa Goellner Mitchum says cyst nematodes make up one of the most economically devastating groups of plant parasites.
She notes the parasites damage root systems by creating a feeding cell and leeching nutrients from the plant.
Plants often respond by blocking uptake and are left wilted or stunted.
The university scientists found they could use advanced gene sequencing to help soybean plants keep absorbing nutrients through the root, while at the same time preventing the nematodes from building feeding cells.
According the USDA, soybeans are responsible for two-thirds of all animal feed and make up more than half of the oil consumed by humans.
