These practices will decrease the likelihood of SCN causing significant economic losses:

• Plant certified or good-quality, clean seed.
• Wash soil off farm equipment when moving it between infested fields or farms.
• Use proper soil conservation practices to reduce soil movement between fields.
• Practice prudent weed control. Many weeds serve as SCN hosts.
• If SCN has been diagnosed in a field, use SCN-resistant soybean varieties.
• Establish a rotation with non-host crops such as corn, wheat, alfalfa, oats or vegetable crops like tomatoes and some cover crops.
• Monitor SCN populations in the soil by soil sampling.

Monitor SCN populations by soil sampling every 3 to 6 years.  

Here’s contact information for soil testing labs in the U.S. and Canada: Soil Testing Labs

If SCN has been diagnosed in a field:

• Use varieties that have SCN resistance, such as PI 88788, Peking and PI 437654.
• Avoid continuous use of the same resistant variety, which will pressure the SCN population to adapt and shift in the field — and eventually make the variety ineffective in combating the pest.

SCN resistance isn’t 100% effective and a few cysts can be found on the roots. The better the resistant variety and less diverse the SCN field population, the fewer cysts on the roots.

It’s best to rotate SCN resistant varieties and different sources of resistance.

Genetic sources of resistance available in commercial varieties include:

• PI 88788
• Peking
• PI 437654

Consult the Ontario Soybean Variety Performance Trial Report for information on:

• SCN-resistant varieties
• Resistance genes
• Performance on infested soil

Establish a rotation with non-host crops such as:

• Corn
• Wheat
• Alfalfa
• Oats
• Vegetable crops like tomatoes and some cover crops that are poor or non-hosts for SCN

It’s not advisable to substitute dry edible (white, coloured) beans into the rotation instead of soybeans since these crops are also hosts for SCN.

Cover crops that are poor hosts or non-hosts for SCN:

Legumes (nitrogen-fixing): Alfalfa, Austrian winter pea, Berseem clover, Cowpea, Crimson clover, Hairy vetch, Peas, Red clover, White clover

Grasses and cereal rains: Annual ryegrass, Barley, Cereal rye, Oats, Wheat

Brassicas (radishes, cabbage, mustards): Canola, Daikon-type radish, Mustard, Oilseed radish