The soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the most destructive soybean pathogen in the United States.   In 2018, the soybean cyst nematode caused an estimated loss of over 128.8 million bushels in the U.S., with an estimated loss of over 2.8 million bushels in Kentucky. Above-ground symptoms are not always observed when SCN is causing yield reductions, which can make it a “silent yield robber”.  

Beginning in 2018, Dr. Carl Bradley began a soybean cyst nematode education program designed for County Agents and for the Agriculture Industry.  Dr. Bradley is part of the SCN Coalition, which is a multi-state group that is focused on education and outreach about the impacts of SCN and how to manage this pathogen.  Dr. Bradley receives funding from the United Soybean Board for his program’s role in the SCN Coalition, and his program receives funding from the Kentucky Soybean Board to determine the effectiveness of nematode-protectant seed treatments in managing SCN in Kentucky.

In addition to presenting information on SCN at winter extension meetings in 2018 and 2019, Dr. Bradley conducted an on-line in-service training webinar on SCN for County Extension Agents in February 2019.  The webinar was recorded and made available as a reference to Agents.  In total, 23 Agents participated in the training.   Using a pre- and post-test, Agents tremendously improved their knowledge about management of SCN from the webinar training.  As an example, only 25% of the Agents could recognize the primary source of resistance used in SCN-resistant soybean varieties prior to the training, whereas, 83% of the Agents could recognize that source of resistance following the training.

As part of the SCN outreach effort, a booth was set up in cooperation with the Kentucky Soybean Board at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, KY.  The purpose of the booth was to educate stakeholders about the impact of SCN and how to manage the problem.  In addition, a short survey was given to booth visitors to determine their “baseline” knowledge about SCN.  Visitors to the booth included farmers from Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Canada.  The results of this baseline knowledge survey will be used to help understand what information needs to be highlighted when educating soybean farmers about SCN.  Dr. Bradley also participated in a booth on SCN at the 2019 Commodity Classic in Orlando, FL.  That meeting had over 9,100 attendees, and Dr. Bradley was able to interact with soybean farmers from all over the U.S. and in other countries about the importance of managing SCN in their fields.