Pest Management

Free SCN Testing for IL Soybean Farmers

Known as the billion-dollar pest, soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is reported to annually cost North American soybean producers $1.5 billion in lost yield. Even with such a large number, many farmers are unaware if or how SCN is impacting their soybean yield. This project aims to change that by providing free SCN soil sampling to understand presence, population and response to available varietal resistance.

Project Information

  • Where is SCN located across Illinois farm fields?
  • How prevalent are SCN populations within those fields?
  • How effective are available varietal resistance traits on each population?

  • Targeting all counties in Illinois

  • SCN has earned the title of #1 soybean pathogen not just because of the economic loss it inflicts, but also because of its adaptability in overcoming varietal resistance.
  • Despite this threat, farmers are challenged with management because SCN is an unseen pest that requires soil sampling to detect its presence and population level, which translates into added costs for farmers.
  • Providing free sampling offsets the burden on input costs while making visible the presence and density of SCN across Illinois’ fields, as well as how rapidly SCN is adapting to varietal resistance traits.

  • Free SCN testing will help farmers understand where nematodes are present on their farms and to what level.
  • Farmers can incorporate information from this project into their SCN management planning. It can help inform which varieties to plant in which fields, if supplemental chemical control mechanisms are needed, and where they need to implement cultural controls like planting non-host crops to help reduce high densities of SCN.

About the Lead Researchers

Dr. Nathan Schroeder
Associate Professor
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)
217-244-6128
nes@illinois.edu

Are you a farmer or advisor?

If you’re a farmer or advisor, we invite you to take our Soybean Production Concerns Survey linked below to help guide future ISA research efforts. We also encourage you to contact us below with specific production challenge research ideas.

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If you’re a researcher interested in working with ISA on a project, we encourage you to contact us with your ideas. The RFP will open in early March. Contact us below to be added to the mailing list for more information.

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