Nematology: From curiosity to space science in fifty years!1

The young science of nematology has evolved and matured mostly in the last fifty years. This extraordinary growth reflects the agricultural needs of the foundation years, the 1950's and early 1960's, and the influence of scientific discovery and changing philosophies. The crucial role of chemical nematicides in increasing crop productivity was central to nematology's growth, and as other forms of nematode control have emerged so nematology has diversified in its usefulness to society. These changes are described with emphasis on the scientists and research laboratories in the United Kingdom.