
Soybean to Nematode: Resistance is Not FutileBy
Tara Weaver June
22, 1998Agricultural Research Serviceresearchers have found a shortcut to identifying nematode-resistant soybean
lines, thanks to a special lab-reared strain of the soybean cyst nematode. These crop-damaging pests cause more losses than all other soybean pathogens
combined, destroying nearly 220 million bushes of soybeans last year. In greenhouse studies at ARS'
Nematology
Research Project in Jackson, Tenn., scientists bred 30 generations of
soybean cyst nematodes on a special diet--the Hartwig soybean cultivar.
Currently, Hartwig is the only commercial variety resistant to all of the
nematode races now observed in farmers' fields. The result was a strain of
nematodes capable of feeding on Hartwig. The strain is being confined to the lab
using special procedures to ensure that it doesn't escape. According to ARS plant pathologist Lawrence D. Young, the researchers can
now use this new strain of nematode as a test population to get a head start on
developing new nematode-resistant soybean lines. Otherwise, scientists would
have to wait for Hartwig- tolerant nematodes to appear naturally in farmers'
fields before breeding new resistance into soybean lines. This approach means a
remedy will already be available by the time the problem occurs in the field. The soybean cyst nematode has been a thorn in the farmer's side since the
pest was first found in North Carolina in 1954. It has consistently overcome the
best resistance available in soybeans. The nematode is present in most
soybean-producing states. Young will present his findings today at a Society of Nematology conference
in St. Louis, Mo. He can be reached at the Adam's Mark Hotel in St. Louis at
(314) 241-7400. Scientific contact: Lawrence D. Young, ARS Crop Genetics and
Production Research Unit,
Nematology
Research Project, Jackson, Tenn., phone (901) 425-4741, fax (901) 425-4741,
email [email protected]. U.S. Department of Agriculture | |