University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources

July 28, 2006

Soybean Cyst Nematode Field Days offered at 4 sites

Four UNL Extension field days will reveal what soybean growers need to know about soybean cyst nematodes and the damage they can cause to soybean yields.

Soybean cyst nematodes cost Nebraska soybean producers millions of dollars in reduced yields each year, said John Wilson, extension educator in Burt County. The problem is that soybean cyst nematodes often have no visible symptoms and go undetected.

"Yield losses of 20% to 30% have been documented in the state with no above ground symptoms on the plant," he said. "The first indication of the problem is soybean yields that have leveled off or even started to drop while corn and other crop yields in the same field continue to improve."

Twenty years ago, soybean cyst nematodes were only found in eastern Nebraska along the Missouri River. Today, the nematodes have been identified in 34 Nebraska counties with high counts being reported as far west as Kearney, Wilson said.

The field days are designed to teach producers to identify and manage soybean cyst nematodes infestations, said Loren Giesler, UNL plant pathologist in the university's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Participants will see soybean cyst nematode-resistant and susceptible soybean varieties and examine cysts on infested soybean plant roots. They also will receive a free kit for one soybean cyst nematodes analysis.

"If SCN caused holes, lesions, spots or other plant abnormalities, it would be much easier to convince producers to test for and manage it," Giesler said. "However, infested plants often look healthy. Soybean cyst nematodes have earned the title of the silent yield robber."

Dates, times and locations for the field days include:

The soybean cyst nematode field days are presented by UNL Extension with support from the Nebraska Soybean Board. For more information, contact a local UNL Extension office.

Kalee Olson
IANR News

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Copyright 2006 by the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. All rights reserved.
Published by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources Cooperating with the counties and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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