NEMATIZIDES MITTEL UND VERFAHREN ZUR BIOLOGISCHEN BEKÄMPFUNG VON NEMATODEN

A method for obtaining a bacterial strain having nematicidal properties comprises collecting samples of soil and/or plant tissues from an area affected by nematodes, distinguishing samples of highly affected material from samples of less affected material, isolating bacterial strains present in said samples, comparing bacterial strains present in highly affected samples with strains present in less affected samples, selecting strains present only in the less affected samples, testing nematicidal properties of the selected strains and selecting those bacterial strains having useful nematicidal properties. A method for the biocontrol of nematodes comprises contacting the soil, a plant or a seed with an effective quantity of a nematicidal agent which is a culture obtained from Sphingo bacterium spiritivorum C-926 and/or Corynobacterium pauro metabolum C-924, or a metabolite derived from the said strain, obtained by natural, recombinant or synthetic route, in an appropriate carrier, or using the said nematicidal agent in a veterinary compsn. for the control of 300 nematodes. The said cultures, used as nematodicidic agent in this method, or any mutation derived from them which is active against nematodes, are also claimed, as are nematicidic agents comprising the said agents and an appropriate carrier.