Manitoba Soybean Cyst Nematode Survey 2014/2015

Crop Soybean
Start Date2014
End Date2016
Principal InvestigatorTenuta, Mario , University of Manitoba
MPSG Financial Support$15,333
Total Project Funding$46,000
ReportFinal Extension Report March 2016

Research Objectives

Survey soybean fields in Manitoba in the south central Manitoba growing areas for the presence of the soybean cyst nematode (SCN). The project continues from a survey conducted in 2012/2013 supported by MPSG.

Project Description

Soybean Cyst Nematode is the most damaging pest/disease of soybean grown in temperate regions. This pest is present in counties across the Manitoba border with the U.S. SCN has recently been delisted as a regulatory pest. This means it is up to growers and Provinces and not the Canadian Food Inspection Agency to conduct surveys for the pest. A survey was conducted in 2012/2013 lead by the University of Manitoba. That survey primarily focused on sampling 48 soils near the Red River near the U.S. border. SCN was not found in the soil although related cyst nematodes of no economic consequence to soybean were present.

The current study sampled 28 soybean fields (for a total of 205 soil samples analyzed) south of Morden/Winkler, near the U.S. border.  Nematode cysts were recovered from 32 soil samples. The samples yielded one to a few cysts each, with the majority being empty and broken. Further most cysts were round and not lemon-shaped, the later a possible indicator of SCN. Only six samples yielded DNA suitable for PCR analysis and these were all negative for SCN.  With the current and past survey conducted by the Soil Ecology Laboratory, a total of 76 commercial soybean fields in Manitoba have been sampled and are negative for the presence of SCN. Because SCN is near the North Dakota and Minnesota border, it is recommended surveys be conducted every two to three years.

Related ProjectManitoba Soybean Cyst Nematode Survey 2012