BACKGROUND 
Soybean Cyst Nematode causes more economic damage than any other pest in U.S. soybean fields, costing the U.S. producer more than a billion dollars annually. Many producers are losing 15 to 30 percent of their yield to cyst nematodes without any above-ground symptoms. The cyst nematode has spread to almost all of the Midwest and the “cyst” can survive in the soil for several years.
The Soybean Cyst Nematode is a parasitic, microscopic roundworm that invades the soybean root’s vascular system as a juvenile. The female nematode stimulates a specialized feeding cell to form in the root and the nematode feeds from the cell, sapping the plant of nutrients and disrupting water uptake effecting plant growth. The female forms a tough egg sack (cyst) filled with 50-200 eggs that erupts through the root surface forming the white or yellow cyst on the soybean roots of infected plants. There can be 4-6 cycles of nematode development during a growing season, with a cycle completed in 24 days under warm temperatures.
IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
The easiest method to check for cyst infestation is to check soybean roots from late June until mid August by digging the plant out of the soil with a hand spade and gently removing the dirt from the roots by shaking or by gently swirling in a bucket of water. Infected plants will have small white or yellow cysts about the size of a pin head on the root surface(considerably smaller than the nitrogen nodules).
A soil sample can also be used to identify and quantify cyst infection. Collect the sample by normal soil sampling techniques mixing many cores due to the random distribution of the nematode in the soil and then send the sample to a qualified lab.
MANAGEMENT
Using resistant soybeans is the best method of managing nematode numbers and most universities recommend resistant soybeans if any soybean cysts are detected in the producer’s field.
Genetic resistance involves three recessive genes and is very difficult to incorporate into soybeans. Many soybeans have been released over the years are not fully resistant. NuTech checks all cyst resistant soybeans it sells for cyst resistance using ProSoy Genetic’s world class cyst lab. The lab uses state-of-the-art techniques to actually grow the soybeans in three different infested soil types and determine a cyst index. The lower the cyst index, the more resistant the soybean. The cyst index is not an exact score, but is a good indicator of resistance level.
The cyst nematode is genetically diverse and there are different genotypes that create different races (HG types) of the nematode. Universities have developed cyst nematode management systems to manage the development of a new race in a field. Iowa State University promotes a 6 year cycle with soybeans alternating with other crops. During the soybean years of the cycle, they recommend a PI88.788 cyst resistance source soybean on year two, followed two years later by a Peking cyst resistance source soybean, and then on year six a nematode susceptible soybean is used to maintain the nematode races for which we have resistance. 
Alternating sources of cyst resistance is important in cyst nematode management systems and NuTech is one of the few companies with Peking source soybeans to utilize the cyst management systems.
NUTECH CYST ADVANTAGE
NuTech has an unmatched, powerful lineup of cyst resistant soybeans and our ProSoy cyst lab allows for industry leading cyst research and evaluation, making NuTech a true leader in the cyst nematode area. NuTech is truly the “Cyst Nematode Specialist.”
