As part of the SCN Coalition surveillance program, free SCN testing will be available to soybean growers in Williams, Fulton, Henry, and Hillsdale (MI) Counties again in 2021.
Soybean cyst nematode (SCN), is the #1 yield-limiting soybean pathogen in the U.S. and could be “silently” robbing you of bushels. This is because SCN can cause yield reduction without any visible above-ground symptoms, like stunting or yellowing. Knowing whether SCN is present in your field(s) and to what extent impacts your soybean variety, crop rotation, and seed treatment decisions.
Samples may be taken in the spring before a soybean crop; during the season in the soybean crop root zone; or in the fall in either a non-host crop or soybean stubble. Take 15+ 1-in-diameter core samples, 8″ deep, for every 20 acres. Mix the cores well and place into a soil sample bag including the following information:
- County
- Date collected
- Current crop
- Previous crop
- Field size (acres)
- Known history of SCN (yes, no, or never tested)
You can either drop your sample off at OSU Extension Williams County office Monday – Thursday from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. or call ANR Educator Steph Karhoff at 419-636-5608 to have your samples picked up. More details on how to collect soil samples for SCN testing may be found in the below video.