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New research studying relationship between cover crops & SCN

New research is looking into the relationship between cover crops and soybean cyst nematode.

Southern Illinois agronomist John Pike says initial findings are promising.

“Where we’ve got both cereal rye and annual rye grass that we’re using as cover crops.”  He says, “And we’ve seen some responses to those cover crops. On the positive side of suppression of soybean cyst nematode, but it’s been variable.”

He tells Brownfield the study looks at the issue in full-sized fields compared to past plot-sized research.

“Looking at more sites over a longer period of time, we’re hoping to get to the better end of that,” he says, “where we can make better recommendations and actually understand that interaction with the cover crops and the soybean cyst nematode.”

Pike says cover crops are known to suppress alternate hosts of SCN.

“We found by planting the cover crop, without any herbicide control or anything,” he says, “many times that will tend to smother out a lot of the winter annuals that aren’t very competitive if they have competition in there.”

Pike says managing SCN is vital to achieving high soybean yields. 

The long-term project is funded by the Illinois Soybean Association.

AUDIO: John Pike – research agronomist & consultant at Pike Ag