b'RETAIL STRATEGYdeveloping through all thenematode still leads by aHOW RETAILERS CAN JOIN THE FIGHTstages until adulthood. Thelarge margin, he notes.males regain a worm-likeOhio State UniversityNew tools and promising data designed to help growers are essential. condition and leave the rootis a member of The SCNYet, the phrase help the grower might suggest a one-way street, to locate and fertilize theCoalition, a public/checkoff/ which is far from the reality of modern agricultural innovation, notes females.private partnership formedHoracio Lopez-Nicora, a soybean pathologist and nematologist at Ohio The females lay eggs into increase the number ofState University.a gelatinous matrix, whichsoybean growers who areGrowers arent just stakeholders; theyre allies and collaborators. fill up with eggs and die,actively managing SCN.becoming a cyst. These deadResearchers like Lopez- Their firsthand experiences and challenges drive innovation and females oxidize, changeNicora are helping in theprogress. However, the role of industry in this collaborative effort cant colour to a darker shade,fight against SCN. Notbe understated, he says. and become very resistant,only are best managementA prime example of this collaborative spirit can be seen in the pulse protecting the eggs inside.practices a help (crop rota- industry, notes Sabine Banniza, pulse pathologist at the University of This is how the nematodetion is a huge one), the firstSaskatchewans Crop Development Centre (CDC). overwinters and survives inbiotech SCN resistance trait the soil for long periods. was recently announced. ItThis sector has developed a robust network where information The nematode can infecttook years for researchersflows along the entire value chain. Its not just the producers who the plant, modify the roots,to discover the novel Cry14are involved, but also seed commercialization organizations working and reduce yield by 15-50%protein that would form thetogether to develop policies, strategies and priorities, she says. or more. In the Midwest andbasis of the new trait.other areas where soybeansLopez-Nicora wasntAt the CDC, the focus is on developing new crop varieties. While the are widely planted, thisdirectly involved in develop- CDC typically does not commercialize these varieties directly, the pathogen has adapted to theing the new trait, but thecommercialization process involves close interaction with growers and crop, making it a signifi- work of researchers like himretailers. cant problem. Often, therehas shed enough light onAs a retailer, you can do the following to ensure researchers benefit are no visible symptoms.SCN that new tools like thisfrom your grower customers experiences with their seed varieties. Comparing susceptible andwill increasingly be devel-resistant cultivars shows nooped, he says.Foster Two-Way Communication: Set up regular meetings and visible differences, yet overThere are advancementsfeedback mechanisms with growers to address their needs and 30% yield reductions can bein the future managementchallenges.detected during harvest.of soybean cyst nematode.Engage in Collaborative Efforts: Participate in industry networks This is why thisResearchers are discoveringand collaborate with research institutions to drive advancements pathogen remains the mosthow different genes work destructive. Reports fromand the mechanisms ofand support sustainable agriculture.plant pathologists haveresistance. We hope to moveEnhance On-Farm Engagement: Conduct farm visits and organize consistently ranked soybeanaway from relying solely onworkshops to understand grower conditions and discuss new cyst nematode as the numbersources of resistance and starttools and practices.one yield-robbing pathogencombining different genes or in America, says Horacioeven silencing specific genesStrengthen the Value Chain: Build relationships with seed Lopez-Nicora, a soybeanwith gene editing, he says.commercialization organizations and support an integrated value pathologist and nematolo- By silencing geneschain involving all stakeholders.gist at Ohio State University.important for pathogenicityAdapt to Grower Feedback: Use grower feedback to refine seed Even when you add up theor infection, we can createofferings and facilitate continuous improvement based on real-yield reduction from the nextmore effective resistanceworld performance.five pathogens, soybean cyststrategies. SUPPORTED BY: ENDORSED BY:44 SEEDWORLD.COM/CANADA SEPTEMBER 2024'