The Benefits Of SCN Resistant Soybeans

Nathan Kleczewski Ph.D
Extension Specialist- Plant Pathology
Department of Plant and Soil Sciences

Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) is considered the most significant yield-limiting pest of soybeans in the United States.  Often the effects of this organism goes unnoticed and growers may not realize how much yield they are losing due to this nematode.  SCN is a sneaky little devil.

Unfortunately our tools for managing plant parasitic nematodes are limited due to a dearth of effective new products.  Rotations to non-hosts can help reduce populations and seed treatments might provide benefit in some cases.  However, resistance to SCN is still the best, most effective, and most economical means to minimize the effects of SCN on soybean.

Greg Tylka, a nematologist at Iowa State, is one of the foremost experts on SCN.  He recently published a report of his most recent screening results.  The take home message?  Although the results were variable as a result of environment, amount of SCN, and SCN HG-Type (think of this as the nematode team affecting a field), the use of SCN resistant varieties increased yields 5-50% over susceptible varieties.  Nematode reproduction was also greatly reduced in resistant varieties in comparison to susceptible varieties.  These data support what we already know in Delaware-plant SCN resistant varieties to maximize yields and profits.  Resistant varieties are currently our best tool for SCN management and should continue to be used in SCN infested fields.

Source : udel.edu