After the 2023 harvest, farmers Zach Grossman from Tina, Missouri, and Chandra and Mike Langseth of Barney, North Dakota, each sampled a field for soybean cyst nematode (SCN). Each wanted to know if SCN was the cause of unexplained yield loss.
They shared results and insights with Progressive Farmer crops editors Jason Jenkins and Pamela Smith. These articles were featured in the June issue:
Take the Test to Control SCN: Know All Your Numbers
By Jason Jenkins, Crops Editor
The SCN Coalition encourages all soybean farmers to test soil and know their SCN egg counts to estimate the population density in a particular field. These farmers take soil sampling a step further with an HG type test, which shows how vulnerable a soybean variety might be to SCN. See how this key information impacted their seed variety selections and management decisions.
Management Options When SCN Infests Fields: After the Test
By Pamela Smith, Crops Technology Editor
SCN continues to spread and can cause significant yield loss with no aboveground symptoms, which is why soil testing is critical to detect the pest. While a “not detected” or “zero” result may seem ideal, North Dakota State University plant pathologist Sam Markell warns the patchy distribution of SCN may be the reason for that. He outlines resources to understand the impact of SCN and the active management strategies farmers can implement to combat the pest’s damage.
Discovery Offers a New Tool to Manage SCN: SCN Resistance in a ‘SNAP’
By Pamela Smith, Crops Technology Editor
Researchers have recently discovered that a gene identified as GmSNAP02 may be helping SCN overcome genetic resistance mechanisms in the soybean plant. Melissa Mitchum, a professor at the University of Georgia, and Andrew Scaboo, assistant professor at the University of Missouri, are spearheading a project to test whether omission of GmSNAP02 impacts soybean yield. The answer to that question may unlock the potential for new resistance tools available in commercial SCN-resistant soybean varieties in the future.
Thank you to Progressive Farmer for shedding light on SCN—the No. 1 yield-grabbing pathogen of the soybean crop in North America.
