If only one SCN egg is found on a plant, resistant varieties should be planted, she advised. Once it has made its way into a field, it s there to stay. There is no magic chemical to kill nematodes. They cannot be eliminated, but can be effectively managed, Niblack told the group. By planting resistant varieties and rotating crops, the SCN number in a field can be greatly reduced.
Many farmers falsely believe there s a yield gap with resistant varieties.
In addition to using resistant varieties, growers need to use rotation. If you don t rotate, you re going to get more nematodes, Niblack said. In the year you rotate, the SCN population will not grow, but it won t decrease very much, she said. One year of corn will reduce the populations, but it won t reduce it much. SCN non-host crops include corn, alfalfa, forage grasses, grain and sweet sorghum, oats, red clover, and wheat.