Field trials show soybean-yield bump, decrease in SCN population
Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is a significant yield-robbing pathogen impacting soybean farmers across he soybean-growing region of the United States. But recent field trials by the Iowa Soybean Association (ISA) On-Farm Network and Iowa State University give reason for optimism that farmers can manage the disease.
In a recent Focus on Soybean webcast, Tristan Mueller, ISA Operations Manager for Agronomic Research, discusses the results of the trials, which evaluated the potential benefits of adding a seed treatment in SCN-infected fields.
The project examined the effectiveness of the Clariva™ seed treatment in field trials across Iowa during the 2014 growing season. While not all plots exhibited an increase in yield compared with the control plots, Clariva-treated soybeans exhibited an average yield increase of 0.6 bushels per acre, with two-thirds of the trials producing a yield bump in response to Clariva.
Counties highlighted in red are counties with confirmed SCN presence, while counties highlighted in blue have not encountered the disease yet.
“These are promising results in a year where there was plenty of moisture,” says Mueller, noting that bigger yield differences should be seen in drier years as roots compromised by SCN limit water uptake.
The Clariva field trials also resulted in a 50 percent lower SCN population compared to the control treatment, on average, across all the trials.
“With one year of data, I think these are promising results to show farmers that there is some control of SCN,” says Mueller.
According to Mueller, SCN is considered to be the most damaging and challenging soybean pathogen in the U.S. because of its unique biology and genetic diversity. The life cycle of SCN correlates with the growing season, allowing up to six generations per year. One female will produce more than 200 eggs, which are laid in the soil and can hatch immediately or even as many as 10 years later.
Battling SCN on your farm? Learn how a seed treatment can help manage SCN populations and boost yields.
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