Research has shed light on the action of the serious agricultural pest, cereal cyst nematode, which will help progress improved resistant varieties. Cereal cyst nematode is a microscopic parasitic worm that lives in soils and infects the roots of cereal crops such as barley, wheat and oats. This affects root growth and leads to poor nutrient uptake, a reduction in crop yield and, in susceptible varieties, more worm eggs in the soil for ongoing infection.