News
Soybean yield at stake as drought and SCN pressure team up
A technical field representative for BASF is concerned Soybean Cyst Nematode is going to compound losses on soybeans stressed by drought.
Nick Tinsley says SCN is estimated to cause about 100 million bushels in yield loss annually, and it thrives in dry conditions.
“And any time we get into any sort of a drought situation where that soybean crop is trying to juggle multiple stressors, that’s really when yield loss from SCN can start to become very noticeable to growers.”
He tells Brownfield while there’s nothing farmers can do about SCN right now, it’s never too early to start planning for next year.
“One of the things I like to do when I’m visiting my research trials is to go out, dig plants and examine those roots to see if I can find any soybean cyst nematode cysts on them. Oftentimes you can.”
Tinsley suggests it’s even more important to test Soybean Cyst Nematode densities after harvest is complete, and he says the results can help form a roadmap for SCN management.
