The best pest management strategy begins with measures designed to optimize crop health because a healthy, well-fed plant is better able to fight off pests. Field crops are susceptible to thousands of different diseases. While some plant diseases are caused by environmental factors such as nutrient deficiencies, temperature, soil moisture, light, soil pH and herbicide injury, the majority of plant diseases are caused by micro-organisms or pathogens such as fungi, bacteria, nematodes and viruses. And continuous production of a single crop actually encourages the disease cycle by providing opportunities for the pathogen to reproduce and infect next year's crop. The level of infection accelerates the longer the same crop is grown in succession.
Crop rotation is one of the most cost-efficient means of reducing pests.
The disease cycle is broken by planting a non-susceptible crop into the residue of a host crop. The longer the break between similar crops, the less opportunity for disease to establish. There is also an increase in the incidence of Phytophthora root rot, Rhizoctonia root rot and sudden death syndrome. One of the main reasons for the proliferation of these pests is reduced crop rotation. Cyst nematodes are small microscopic parasites that feed on soybean roots, interrupting normal plant growth, reducing nodule development and opening the way to root rotting organisms.