News

New research showing widespread distribution of SCN

An associate professor in crop sciences says ongoing testing for soybean cyst nematode has shown just how widespread the pest is.

Nathan Schroeder at the University of Illinois tells Brownfield…

“We’ve gotten samples from well over half of the counties in Illinois.”  He says, “As we knew it’s distributed all over the state. What’s interesting is we’re not seeing one part of the state is, you know, really hot. We’re seeing numbers throughout the state.”

He says the number of nematodes present can vary greatly within counties and even fields.

“Some samples we’ve gotten in where we’re seeing zeros, but then we see other locations in the same county where we’re getting really, really high numbers.”  He says, “There’s not a real pattern that jumps out except for the fact that we can find it everywhere.”

Schroeder says that’s why it’s important for farmers to test every soybean field for SCN.

“Above ground, the plants might look totally fine and so you don’t see the actual nematodes ever.”  He says, “They basically will feed on the roots and take away yields. And so, you can get fairly significant yield losses.”

Schroeder says rotating crops and planting SCN-resistant soybean varieties are currently the best management strategies for farmers.

In Illinois, the Illinois Soybean Association is partnering with the U of I Plant Clinic to offer free SCN testing.  Click HERE to learn more.

AUDIO: Nathan Schroeder – University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Graphic provided courtesy of Nathan Schroeder – U of I