Soybean Cyst Nematode and Phyophthora sojae impact on Ontario Soybean Production. Is there anything we can do?

This was a presentation on the impact soybean cyst nematode has on soybean production in Ontario and what growers can do about the damage caused by the pest. Soybean Cyst Nematode (Heterodera glycines or SCN) is a soil born parasitic round worm that infects Soybean and some other leguminous plants. SCN is the top yield reducing pathogen on soybeans in Ontario, causing an average of about $50M USD worth of damage each year, most of the times without any obvious phenotypic symptoms. The means of controlling this pest are through knowledge of presence of SCN within the field and to determine the racial type of the nematode and which resistant soybean sources it can infect. We examine that the populations of the nematodes within Ontario are evolving to overcome the most common genetic resistance sources in commercial cultivars, and make suitable recommendations depending on the soil type and areas of the farms. This includes using cultivars that maintain effective resistance. We also describe how high levels of SCN interact and exacerbate the impact of other diseases including Sudden death Syndrome caused by a fungal pathogen.