This year, plant pathology specialist Dr. Carl Bradley requested soil samples from Kentucky soybean fields to survey for plant-parasitic nematodes (other than soybean cyst nematodes (SCN)) that can negatively affect soybean yields.  Dr. Bradley also promoted the opportunity to test fields for SCN through a program where the Kentucky Soybean Association would pay the laboratory analysis fees.  Taking advantage of these opportunities, I sampled 46 producer fields for soybean cyst nematodes and 40 fields for Dr. Bradley’s other parasitic nematode survey.  Fields that were in soybeans in 2021 were all sampled using a standard protocol for SCN samples so that all samples would be gathered and handled identically.  These fields represented all parts of Todd County and included full-season and doublecrop soybean fields.  None of the fields sampled for SCN or other nematodes had been sampled previously.  This sampling project took approximately six-weeks to complete.

The “non-SCN” soybean nematode survey program was to examine soil samples for 10 species of parasitic soybean nematodes—Lesion, Spiral, Dagger, Lance, Stunt, Ring, Stubby Root, Reniform, Root-knot, and Sheath nematodes.  Four of these species—Lesion, Lance, Dagger, and Spiral nematodes were discovered in Todd County samples from previous years.  Unfortunately, 32 of the 40 Todd County samples that were submitted for the “non-SCN” survey were destroyed by the tornado that devastated the UK Princeton Research and Education Center on December 10, 2021.  Results for the remaining six samples have not been received yet.

Fortunately, submission of the SCN samples to the University of Illinois Nematode Testing Laboratory was unaffected by any of the December or January tornadoes that hit Western Kentucky.  Results of the county’s SCN tests will be analyzed and shared with producers.