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SCN management becoming more complicated

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) management is becoming more complicated.

Bruce Potter, integrated pest management specialist with the University of Minnesota, says farmers are having various levels of success controlling SCN through crop rotation, seed treatments, and planting resistant varieties.

“A lot of growers may think that they’re planting a resistant variety and their problem is taken care of.  I think that is where we are getting into some trouble is some of the resistant varieties really aren’t very resistant at all.  In other words, they allow a lot of nematode reproduction.”

Instead of reducing SCN populations, he says farmers are unwittingly selecting for nematodes that can reproduce and attack that resistance source.

Potter tells Brownfield there aren’t many tools available.

“Almost all the varieties out there that are nematode resistant are PI 88788 resistance.  There are very few Peking, and if growers could work some Peking into the rotation once in awhile, that would definitely help.  We don’t want them to do it too often (though) because Peking is pretty high in selective pressure itself.”

Potter says crop rotation can effectively manage SCN, but rotating to a non-host crop like corn or wheat only drops egg populations by about half per growing season.

SCN has been found to reduce soybean yields by as much as 30 percent.