Free Soybean Cyst Nematode Testing Being Offered

John Gaska

UW Agronomy

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

The UW Agronomy Department, in cooperation with the Wisconsin Soybean Marketing Board, is again offering free soybean cyst nematode (SCN) testing for Wisconsin growers.  This program is intended to allow soybean producers or their crop consultants/advisors to sample up to three of their fields in order to identify if SCN is present and at what levels.  Growers will be responsible for collecting soil from fields suspected to have SCN and then sending the sample to the SCN testing laboratory. They will receive a lab report back with the SCN egg count and a brochure to help plan future rotations and other cultural practices to help lower the level of infestation.

We have a limited number of these free kits available and will furnish them on a first come - first served basis.  Crop consultants/advisors can also request kits for their client’s farms.  Each kit has a bag and a prepaid mailer for one soil sample which should represent about 10-15 acres.  Both the postage and lab fees are prepaid.   Before or right after planting in the spring or just after harvest in the fall are both great times to collect soil samples for routine soil fertility analysis and for SCN monitoring.

Soil sample test kits are available now and can be requested by contacting Colleen Smith at clsmith8@wisc.edu or at 608-262-7702.