Cysts (the large white growths) on the roots of a soybean plant.

Manitoba poised to meet advancing soybean cyst nematode

The pest’s arrival is imminent if it hasn’t happened already

A microscopic parasitic roundworm that’s the top soybean yield robber in the U.S. is already present on the Manitoba-North Dakota border and the province is readying for its imminent arrival. Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is often cited for causing approximately US$1 billion in U.S. soy production losses every year, and it’s that kind of devastation

White to light-yellow soybean cyst nematode females on soybean roots.

Soybean cyst nematode likely already in Manitoba

A recent survey reveals soybean cyst nematode is in border counties such 
as Cavalier, Towner, Rollette and Renville

Crop advisers in North Dakota are keeping a watchful eye on the northward advance of soybean cyst nematode (SCN) — and so should Manitoba growers, said a cropping systems specialist. SCN, a round worm that parasitizes roots of soybean and can reduce yields anywhere from 15 to 30 per cent before ground symptoms are present,


Foliar symptoms of SDS in a soybean crop. (APSnet.org)

First soy seed treatment cleared against SDS

A Bayer CropScience fungicide is being pressed into service against sudden death syndrome (SDS) in Canadian soybeans. Bayer on Monday launched a new soybean seed treatment dubbed ILeVO, a suspension containing its Group 7 fungicide fluopyram at a rate of 600 grams per litre. ILeVO will be the first soybean seed treatment registered for use

Mario Tenuta holds up a jar containing soybean roots with nematodes for inspection at the Ian N. Morrison research farm near Carman.

Soybean cyst nematode co-evolved with crop

They are tiny world travellers and Manitoba’s Red River Valley could be 
the next stop on the soybean cyst nematode’s global tour

In the middle of the Ian N. Morrison research farm near Carman, an unlikely scene is unfolding as farmers and agronomists crowd around what looks like an old jam jar. “Careful, we don’t want this to break,” Mario Tenuta stresses, with a bit of a chuckle. But what’s inside the tightly sealed jar is no

 Soybean plant with nematode-filled cysts.

On the lookout for soybean cyst nematodes

But make no mistake, this new destructive pest is coming and farmers 
can learn more about it July 22 at the SMART Soybean Day in Carman


Soybean cyst nematodes haven’t been found in Manitoba yet. That’s the good news. The bad news is it’s only a matter of time until they are, says University of Manitoba soil scientist Mario Tenuta. But early detection will help farmers manage it. The search for the small, soil-borne, worm-like parasites that can dramatically reduce soybean


Root cyst nematode infection on soybeans

Soybeans — it might be OK to go easy on the inoculant

MPGA tests also show little or no benefit in using fungicides

Plant your soybeans on wheat or corn stubble and aim for 140,000 to 150,000 plants per acre. Those were two of the recommendations from research results delivered by Manitoba Pulse Growers production specialist Kristen Podolsky to a meeting of the Brokenhead River Agricultural Conference here last week. Podolsky also said you might not need to

Soybean cyst nematode and egg.

Scout for silent soybean killer

The soybean cyst nematode is all over the map in North Dakota, so it’s only a matter of time 
before it arrives in Manitoba

While the soybean cyst nematode, Heterodera glycines, has yet to be found in Manitoba, producers are being urged to begin scouting now for what is sometimes called the “silent killer.” “They call it the silent killer in areas where it’s been a problem for longer, because yield loss occurs long before symptoms are visible,” Holly