Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is one of the top yield reducing pests on soybeans, causing great economic losses all around the world. The SCN Coalitions is a multi-state group of Extension specialists, university researchers and agricultural company representatives who are trying to bring attention to the growing threat of soybean cyst nematodes. This is the second coalition, with the first one beginning in 1997. The reintroduction of the coalition is to help spread awareness that SCN has started to evolve and current management methods are not enough to help combat the yield loss from SCN. This year, we were able to have a table at the Farm Machinery Show at the Kentucky Soybean Board booth to spread awareness and management methods for soybean cyst nematode. At the booth we handed out several infographs on SCN, as well as A Farmer’s Guide to Soybean Diseases.

In order to find out what information is currently out in the public, we created a survey to find out how many acres of soybeans a participant was growing, and their management techniques for soybean cyst nematode. We had 67 participants from 10 states and Canada representing between 24,000 to over 68,000 acres of soybeans.   Almost one-third of the participants have never tested their fields for SCN and only 14 people regularly test their fields for SCN. Over half of the people surveyed do use resistant varieties, but one of the main factors to the growing threat of SCN is that the SCN population is becoming resistant to the most commonly used source of resistance.

This is an important first step to gauge the information that is currently out to our target audience and more effectively educate farmers on different means of managing SCN.