23, 2025) – Living on the roots of Solanaceae plants like potatoes and tomatoes, the potato cyst nematode causes yield-loss and root damage. Cyst nematode eggs hatch only when they detect hatching factors – molecules secreted by the roots of their host plants. For potato cyst nematodes, these are solanoeclepin B (SEB) and solanoeclepin A (SEA). SEC is secreted 20 times more by the plants compared to SEB, but does not act as a hatching factor for parasites. The discovery of SEC brings researchers closer to developing practical applications of hatching factors in sustainable agriculture, where they could induce ‘suicide hatching’ of parasites before crops are planted.