Nematodes are animals, worms to be precise. Four out of every five animals are nematodes making them the most numerically abundant animals on the planet. They can be so tiny you need a microscope to see them, while a few others can grow up to 40 feet long. There is a substantial group of nematodes that are parasites, and their victims include plants and animals. Some of the world’s most crippling diseases of humans are caused by nematodes. Similarly, plants are subject to severe nematode infection. In fact, some of the biggest obstacles to sustainable agricultural plant production are plant-parasitic nematodes living in agricultural soils.