Connie’s Comments by Connie Strunk, Turner County Extension Educator—Agronomy 

August 28, 2009

  

            It’s hard to believe that another Turner County Fair has come and gone.  I started working here in 2005 and have worked at/attended the fair every year since I started here.  There is one thing that I have noticed every year and that is the enthusiasm that everyone (young and old) has for the fair.  It’s amazing to see all the people come together in a small town to enjoy themselves and support the fair.

            Since August has come to a close and the South Dakota State Fair has already started there is one pest that soybean producers need to be on the look-out for and that pest is soybean cyst nematode (SCN).  The best time to scout for soybean cyst nematodes (SCN) is mid-August through early September.  This is an ideal time to scout because the newly emerged female soybean cyst nematodes are visible to the naked eye as small white specks clinging to the roots of soybeans.  Soybean cyst nematodes are not to be confused with the much larger nitrogen-fixing nodules on the roots of healthy soybeans. 

SCN symptoms include stunting; an up-and-down, roller- coaster appearance in the fields; and rows failing to close.  SCN can also induce early maturity, with plants that begin yellowing from the bottom up.  A good time to have your soil sample tested for SCN is after harvest, especially if you’ll be soil sampling anyway to determine soil fertility.  Planting resistant varieties are an effective way to manage soybean cyst nematodes and there currently is no technology fee for this!

Soybean cyst nematode, or SCN, is the most damaging pest of soybeans in the United States. Thought to be native to Asia, soybean cyst nematode was first found within the United States in North Carolina in 1954.  In South Dakota, SCN was first detected in Union County in 1995.  It has also been found in Bon Homme, Brookings, Brown, Charles Mix, Clay, Codington, Davison, Day, Deuel, Grant, Hamlin, Hanson, Hutchinson, Kingsbury, Lake, Lincoln, McCook, McPherson, Miner, Minnehaha, Moody, Roberts, Turner, and Yankton counties.

SCN is spread with soil movement, and can be transported on tires, shoes, tillage equipment, and planters.  SCN has likely spread to even more areas, but because not all soybean growers test their soil, the pest can go undetected, silently robbing as much as 10 to 30 percent of soybean yields.

SCN testing at the SDSU Plant Diagnostic Clinic is free of charge for South Dakota growers thanks to a grant from the South Dakota Soybean Research and Promotion Council, which has funded SCN testing at SDSU for more than 10 years.  The SDSU Plant Diagnostic Clinic will also test and process out-of-state samples for a fee of $20.

Fields can be sampled several ways – by taking soil cores throughout creating a representative sample, or by focusing on certain “hot spots.”  SCN tends to be discovered near field entrances and fence lines and in low-lying areas where water tends to accumulate, or in high pH soils.

To properly sample your soil for SCN, collect 15 to 20 soil cores in a zigzag pattern across the sampled area (ideally 20 acres or less).  Mix the cores together and fill a soil bag or other suitable container for transport to the lab.  To properly complete the testing, the clinic needs about a pint of soil.  Sampling information and a submission form can be found at an SDSU Web site, http://plantsci.sdstate.edu/planthealth/. 

For more information about SCN, seek out SDSU Extension Fact Sheet 902-A, “Soybean Cyst Nematode” at your local extension office or find it online at http://agbiopubs.sdstate.edu/articles/FS902A.pdf.  Additional information and a link to the “Soybean Cyst Nematode Management Guide” can be found at the North Central Soybean Research Program Web site, at http://www.planthealth.info/pdf_docs/SCNGuide_5thEd.pdf
or feel free to contact me at the Turner County Extension Office at 297-3112.

For your information:  There will be a Soybean Cyst Field Day on September 16, 2009 at 4: 30 p.m. with a meal to follow.  Watch for more information to come!  Go ahead and call the office or check our website at http://www.turnercounty4h.com and click on the agriculture tab for upcoming programs and additional information.

For those of you who are interested in taking advantage of this free program, here is the schedule for pesticide container collection in southeast South Dakota:

 

Date                            Time                            Location                                              City

September 8                9:00 to 2:00                 Turnis Farm Service                            Platte

September 9                1:00 to 4:00                 Country Pride Coop Fert. Plant          Wagner

September 10              9:00 to 12:00               Bon Homme Co. HiWay Dept.          Tyndall

 

September 10              1:00 to 4:00                 Hutchinson Co. Courthouse               Olivet

 

September 11              9:00 to 2:00                 Tripp Co. Recycling Center                Winner

 

September 14              9:00 to 12:00               Lake Preston Soil Service                   Lake Preston

 

September 14              1:30 to 4:00                 Cenex Agronomy Center                    Howard

 

September 15              9:00 to 12:00               Lake Co. 4H Grounds                                    Madison

 

September 15              1:30 to 4:00                 Moody Co. Highway Dept.                Flanderau

 

September 16              9:00 to 2:00                 Renner Fire Hall                                  Renner

 

September 17              9:00 to 12:00               Central Farmers Coop                         Salem

 

 

All times are local.  The following locations below will accept containers anytime during regular business hours:

Vermillion – Contact:  Phyllis Packard at Missouri Valley Recycling Center (605) 677-7076  

Pierre – Contact:  South Dakota Department of Agriculture at (605) 773-4432 or 1-800-228-5254

Huron – Contact:  Russ Layton at Bauman Agency at (605) 353-1112