10/15/01

Contacts:
Greg Tylka, Plant Pathology, (515) 294-3021
Ed Adcock, Communications Service, (515) 294-2314

NOW IS THE TIME TO SAMPLE FOR SOYBEAN CYST NEMATODE

AMES, Iowa -- After harvest is an excellent time to test for the presence of soybean cyst nematode (SCN) in fields to be planted in soybeans next year, said Iowa State University plant nematologist Greg Tylka.

"Once infestations are discovered, resistant soybean varieties can be grown to reduce damage and dramatically improve yields," said Tylka. "The key to effective management of SCN is early detection."

As many as 75 percent of Iowa fields may harbor the yield-robbing pest.

"Soybean fields may be sampled to explain low soybean yields obtained in the 2001 growing season, but cornfields should be sampled this fall in order to detect SCN before next year's growing season," said Tylka.

Soil samples can be collected anytime after harvest, up until the ground freezes solid or is covered with snow. Samples should consist of 10 to 20, 6- to 8-inch-deep soil cores collected from about 20 acres.

Samples can be sent to the Iowa State University Plant Disease Clinic, 323 Bessey Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, or to several private soil laboratories in Iowa that offer SCN testing.

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