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Ontario Grain Farmer Magazine

Practical management of soybean cyst nematode – Part III

Principal Investigator: Tom Welacky

Research Institution: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

Timeline: July 2014 – March 2017  

Objectives:

  • Continue structured surveys of field race reactions to race/HG Type bio-indicators to identify soybean cyst nematode (SCN) population reactions to varieties as either resistant, moderately resistant and/or susceptible to SCN producer field populations.
  • Create a database and visual general map of survey sample field population changes and HG types.
  • Continue to monitor SCN population numbers from random farm samples and from previous 11-year farm crop rotation studies.

Impacts:

  • Investigate new objectives targeting further reductions in losses and improved SCN management through coordinating efforts with outreach projects in cooperation with OMAFRA that will help deliver a consistent message on SCN and its management. 
  • Information about the virulence characteristics of SCN populations that occur throughout Ontario. This information will be vital to guide soybean breeding efforts and improve risk management information to producers.

Scientific Summary:

In these times of turmoil on the financial markets one strategy which can provide producers with consistent returns on their investment is the use of soybean cyst nematode (SCN) resistant varieties. Soybean cyst nematode is the most yield limiting disease of soybean in Ontario and the northern United States. Unfortunately, many soybean growers continue to lose yield to the disease, and although effective and practical management tools are available, many growers still are not properly managing SCN or are unaware of the problem. It is for these reasons SCN is often referred to as the “silent yield robber.” Funding for SCN research has been a small percentage of research funding compared to dollar losses incurred by SCN to Ontario producers and industry.

This project is directed to providing growers and industry with information on the variety genetic reactions to farm SCN populations and agronomic production potential of existing and new SCN-resistant cultivars. The project also seeks to provide identification of races (HG Types) for specific farm field SCN populations in Ontario and follow up with recommending varieties that contain site-specific resistance for field populations. The project will form a basis from which to motivate and direct breeders to new or alternative sources of resistance for the industry based on a study of what HG types or races are in producers’ fields.

Another objective of the project is to monitor the field counts of SCN numbers by variety from the crop rotation project undertaken from 1993 to 2003 on 19 farm fields in southern Ontario. This project was not completed in the previous management proposal.

From continued support of the SCN projects, certain trends on SCN numbers were verified regarding the extended effect on SCN populations resulting from using rotation of non host crops and resistant varieties. Study of any deviations from expected outcomes will clarify further changes that may need to be incorporated to ensure maximum reduction of SCN populations to non-challenging levels.

External Funding Partners: Ontario Soybean & Canola Committee