Last week's CropWatch poll, "This summer have you checked soybean roots in your fields for SCN?" had some interesting results. Just over 30% of you said "Yes," just under 30% said "No," and 40% said "No, but I will." I think it's positive that over two-thirds of those responding to the poll either have checked or say they will check for SCN in their fields, especially when you consider that only about 30% of all those responding said SCN had ever been identified in their fields.

One comment, from someone who must not be planning to check for SCN, really caught my attention. This respondent stated "[The] crop isn't worth enough to worry about it." Would it be worth it if the cash price of soybeans jumped by $1.25/bushel today?

In tests over the years, growers have seen an average 11+% yield increase by using SCN-resistant soybean varieties in SCN-infested fields. If you increase your yield 11% and it doesn't cost you any more to do it, your gross return per acre would increase by 11%. This would be roughly equivalent to increasing the price you receive for your crop by $1.25/bushel at today's prices. Managing SCN won't increase the price/bushel you receive, but it can have the same effect by increasing your yields.

For more information on sampling for and managing SCN, see the July 11, 2014 CW article.

John Wilson
UNL Extension Educator in Burt County