Now that the 2019 corn and soybean harvest is in full swing, it is not too early to start thinking about and planning for the 2020 growing season as well. For soybean farmers in Iowa, a critically important fall activity that can pay large dividends is soil sampling to determine soybean cyst nematode (SCN) population densities in fields in which soybeans will be grown in 2020.

Many cover crop species have been found to be non-hosts for SCN; however, we cannot say that all cover crops are non-hosts as some species can support SCN reproduction, including crimson clover, field pennycress and more.

Fall time is the best time of year to sample and test the soil for soybean cyst nematode in hopes of managing this silent killer of soybean yields, says South Dakota State University Extension.

Ohio State University Extension reviews the loss levels for soybean cyst nematodes for the majority of soil types in the state, and what those levels mean for growers.

There were multiple reports of Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) in soybeans this past year. The cooler, wet season helped promote the disease in susceptible varieties, but the presence of soybean cyst nematode (SCN) can also increase the effect of SDS.

Soybean cyst nematodes have the potential to cause devastating yield losses, population densities can increase very rapidly within a single growing season, and dormant eggs can survive for more than a decade in infested soils in the absence of soybeans.