Question: Would it be possible to genetically modify the nematodes to they where unable to reproduce making them unable to spread to surrounding plants?

Jacque Cilliers answered on 25 Jun 2020:

That would be very difficult to do because you need nematodes to multiply by themselves so that you can make more of them. Also…

Nematodes aren’t dangerous to humans in any way. They are also only dangerous to the pests that you apply them for. This means that they will only kill the specific pests that you use them against. Nematodes don’t spread very far either, so there isn’t much danger of them contaminating susceptable land and becoming a problem. The other thing is that nematodes tend to die back when they run out of food. This happens when they kill all the insects in a field or on crops.