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New Trait Technology Targets Soybean Cyst Nematode, Helping Farmers Capture Lost Yield Potential

A new innovation in soybean production is aiming to change the way farmers manage one of their most costly and persistent threats: soybean cyst nematode (SCN). Developed by BASF, Nemasphere represents the first genetic trait designed specifically to defend soybean plants against this yield-draining pest.

Michael McCarville, Trait Technology Lead at BASF tells Brownfield, “Breeders are delivering about one bushel in added yield potential every year, but due to growing issues with SCN and weeds, farmers are only harvesting about half of that yield potential. That’s one of the reasons soybean yields have been stagnating in past years.”

Instead of waiting until damage is already done, this technology steps in while the pest is feeding and makes it harder for nematodes to pull nutrients from soybean roots. That matters because the females are the biggest drain on the plant. By slowing them down early, the trait helps protect the plant today and may also keep future populations from building. Another benefit is that the protection moves with the roots as they grow, helping shield the parts of the plant SCN is most likely to attack all season long. Planned to be paired with the Enlist E3 system in high-performing seed genetics, this innovation is designed to help farmers reclaim yield that often slips away due to unseen underground stress.

Researchers believe this type of protection could also indirectly reduce the severity of other plant health challenges that tend to intensify when SCN is present. While still moving through the regulatory process, the anticipated arrival of this technology later this decade signals a potential turning point in how soybean growers manage hidden yield loss — shifting from defense to long-term resilience.

Pending global regulatory approvals, the Nemasphere trait stacked with the Enlist E3 herbicide trait will be commercially released for the 2028 planting season.

Cyndi Young interviews Michael McCarville, Trait Technology Lead for BASF: