Soybean Cyst Nematode
Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the leading cause of disease-related soybean yield losses in Illinois. SCN has been found in every county of Illinois and is present in more than 80% of the state's soybean production fields. Yield losses range from 0 to 70%, representing a total annual loss of $240 million.
The managed research program funded by the Checkoff is a comprehensive approach to studying and managing SCN through basic and applied research and outreach. The team's mission is to enhance soybean production competitiveness through SCN management interaction, plant breeding and genetics, and biotechnology.
SCN research funded through the Checkoff covers a number of areas, including communicating management technologies to growers, identifying cultural practices that enhance and protect the use of resistance, managing multiple soybean diseases, identifying resistance genes, supporting germplasm development, and more. In 2003, more than 400 SCN-resistant lines were screened against five unique SCN populations. Data collected were forwarded to the Varietal Information Program for Soybeans (VIPS) so growers can use them for variety selection.
Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Southern Illinois University Carbondale continue to study the interactions of SCN and sudden death syndrome (SDS).
The new Checkoff-funded SCN Management Guide is now available. The guide answers frequently asked questions about SCN and provides current, science-based management recommendations compiled from decades of research. The SCN Management Guide also includes new information on how SCN interacts with other soybean diseases and outlines the latest recommendations. Plus, you can learn how to use new tools such as aerial photography to scout for areas of SCN infection and find out how soil pH governs the development of SCN and brown stem rot. Get your free guide at http://www.planthealth.info or http://www.ncsrp.com.
Checkoff funds are now being used in studies to evaluate increased brown stem rot activity in SCN-susceptible plants. Brown stem rot is caused by a fungus that survives in crop residue for up to 1 1/2 years and in surface residue for up to 2 1/2 years. The disease exhibits foliar symptoms similar to SDS, and lab tests may be necessary to confirm whether or not you have brown stem rot. To learn more about potential interactions, visit The Bulletin online.
When it's time to choose varieties for protection against SCN, Terry Niblack, University of Illinois nematologist, reminds growers to remember the "3 Rs" of rotation—rotate soybeans with corn, rotate resistant soybean varieties, and rotate sources of nematode resistance. Checkoff-funded research reveals that the average minimum increase in profitability between using the top 10 highly resistant soybeans and the bottom 10 highly resistant soybeans is $110 per acre. She advises growers to check the SCN count in your field, choose the seed brand you prefer, look at the varieties available with the highest resistance, and then rank the varieties by yield performance. Highly resistant varieties will have a female index (FI) value less than 10.