SCN Coalition to Launch new initiative at Commodity Classic
Over the course of the next year, you will hear much about the pest, soybean cyst nematode. No stranger to Ohio, since the 1980’s, farmers in Ohio have been monitoring this pest. The first surveys, early 1990’s, SCN occurred sporadically in the state but some populations were very high. In a survey of fields in southern Ohio, high populations of SCN were found in fields where yields were consistently low. One of the more recent check-off funded projects, identified that more fields than 20 years ago has SCN. Among the 143 fields sampled at a depth of 6 to 8 inches in 51 counties in Ohio, SCN was detected in 81% of the fields. The good news is that only 6 of the 147 were above the yield damaging levels. However, it should be noted, that SCN is highly aggregated in most fields due the nature of how it feeds only the roots and its movement is limited to soil or underground.
The new website, www.TheSCNcoalition.com is now accessible with training and infographics, you can bookmark this for your planting time – while on autosteer. Only on autosteer. Our Ohio site, with updated information is also ready www.u.osu.edu/ohscn/. Take your time to see where this pest has been detected, where some of the hot spots are and what we need to be aware of for management. This pest can not be eradicated or removed from a field once it is there, but there is no reason why it should take a lot of our soybean yield, we just need to manage it and that starts with knowing your number.
