Visit the wonderful (virtual) world of nematodes

Dec 12, 2018

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Steve Ott

in News

BASF, the UK’s largest producer of nematode biological controls, has created a series of videos

The videos offer a fascinating insight into the science behind nematode production, including a virtual tour of its high-tech factory in Sussex.

Few gardeners realise that nematodes are grown in laboratories and on such a massive scale – there is a total of 190,000 litres of fermentation capacity on site, with just one 75,000-litre vessel producing around eight trillion nematodes per production run.

The three videos explain what nematodes are, how they work, and how they are grown. ‘The BASF Factory Tour’, led by Tom Goddard, BASF’s fermentation manager, guides you through all of the production stages, from ‘the shaker’ to fermentation, downstreaming and packaging. The highly specialised procedure, with facilities reminiscent of a cutting-edge distillery, complete with stainless steel stills and white lab coats, is an eye-opener.

Watch the videos at:

‘How Do Nematodes Work?’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHNG1KSluh0

‘The BASF Factory Tour’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQLo76ZOJws

‘Why Choose Nemasys and Nemaslug?’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lO9a8sf1_bk

About the author

Steve Ott

Steve Ott is editor of Kitchen Garden magazine and started his career as a professional grower, producing everything from cut flowers to vegetables. He has been growing fruit and veg all his life and spends most of his spare time in his garden in the East Midlands. He loves to experiment with crops and varieties he has never grown before and when he isn’t gardening is to be found out in the countryside bird watching and walking his dog Ted.

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