Planting season is right around the corner and so are the pests.
Soybean cyst nematode causes problems for growers every year. A researcher explains why they are so hard to eradicate.
“The worm is about 100th of an inch long, and it’s confusing to people, perhaps also because it goes into the root and attaches to the vascular tissue of the soybean root, but then it swells up. The adult female eventually gets so big that she pops out of the root, and you can see her as a little white dot on the surface of the root. In fact, that’s one way we advise farmers and agronomists to check fields for SCN. Wait till five or six weeks after planting, and then, pretty much, through to August, maybe mid-August, dig roots and look for those little white females,” said Dr. Greg Tylka.
He warns nematode resistance will be a challenge in the future. The current resistance took around 20 years to fall apart.
Producers across the country spent the week balancing spring planning with tight margins and uneven moisture outlooks. Input purchasing stayed cautious, while marketing and cash-flow decisions remained front and center for many operations.
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The EPA has approved over-the-top dicamba applications for the 2026 and 2027 growing seasons, outlining new rules that impact herbicide use for U.S. crop producers.
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Strong supplies and rising stocks point to continued price pressure unless demand accelerates.
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Seasonal price patterns can inform soybean marketing timing, particularly when harvest prices appear unusually strong or weak.
February 09, 2026 10:30 AM
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