Survey shows Soybean Cyst Nematode an understated threat

Studies have shown that SCN-resistant varieties of soybeans have been losing their effectiveness against SCN over time.
Studies have shown that SCN-resistant varieties of soybeans have been losing their effectiveness against SCN over time. | File photo

Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) costs farmers countless millions of dollars and an estimated 128 billion bushels of soybeans every year, but a recent survey by Syngenta reveals that farmers still do not think of it as a dangerous infestation.

Syngenta sponsored the SCN Awareness and Education Meeting in December 2015 to bring together experts on SCN and farmers to discuss what to do about SCN and how to convince farmers of the serious threat posed. The group of university nematologists, university researchers and representatives focused on the results of the 2015 survey.

“The survey provides a baseline assessment of growers’ awareness of SCN, its perceived impact and the SCN management strategies used today,” Wouter Berkhout, soybean Seedcare product lead at Syngenta, said.

Studies have shown that SCN-resistant varieties of soybeans have been losing their effectiveness against SCN over time because more than 95 percent of farmers plant exclusively one single source (PI88788) which reduces effectiveness, increases SCN adaptation to PI88788, and deepens the need for alternative solutions.

“The findings confirm that we, in the soybean community, need to work as a team to combat the growing problem of SCN,” Palle Pederson, Syngenta's Seedcare product marketing head, said. “This is not something that we can do by ourselves. Growers need to be better informed about issues affecting their soybean fields, and we need to provide more tools to counteract those issues.”