Soybean Cyst Nematode is responsible for $1.5 billion in yield loss per year in the United States. University of Nebraska Extension Plant Pathologist Dylan Mangel, who is part of the SCN Coalition, expects those losses to only grow. Due to an overreliance on the PI 88788 source of resistance, SCN has found a way to overcome it. Mangel is now seeing more soybean varieties with the Peking source of resistance. “The problem with Peking is it’s more effective than PI 88788 ever was, which means it’s going to apply a stronger selection pressure on those nematodes; the data we have so far shows that it’s likely to break down a lot faster than the PI 88788 resistance source.” The Red River Farm Network asked Mangel if other potential sources of SCN resistance are in the pipeline. “The industry as a whole has just really struggled to get alternate resistance sources through to the end,” said Mangel. “We have some that look really good, but they just might not yield, for example. Ultimately, if they don’t yield, they’re not worthwhile to put out there.” In the meantime, the recommendation is to rotate between the two current resistance sources, Soil testing for soybean cyst nematode is also a priority.
