Soil-Based Pest Could Impact Crop Yield
JACKSON, Tenn. – Nematodes are known as silent yield robbers, stealing nutrients from a plant’s roots while causing few above-ground symptoms. To help row crop farmers identify and manage these pests, the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center is offering free nematode soil testing for Tennessee producers. Out-of-state testing is also provided for only $15 per sample.
“These microscopic roundworms can overwinter in crop fields and spread quickly, with some species producing three to six generations in a single year,” says Heather Kelly, Extension specialist and plant pathology researcher. “If you are already collecting soil for nutrient, pH or other regular tests, we encourage you to send some to our lab for nematode identification as well.”
Nematode samples should be collected in the fall after crop harvest and ideally before the first frost. Use a six- to eight-inch-deep soil probe with a one-inch diameter, inserting it near a plant’s root system at a 45-degree angle. Remove a single plug of soil and place it in a bucket or plastic bag stored inside a cooler. For best results, take samples throughout the field in a zigzag pattern or target ideal management and high-risk zones.
Continue collecting soil until you have a minimum of 20 samples totaling one quart, with more possibly needed depending on field acreage. Deliver soil to the West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center the same day or as soon as possible, along with a completed sample submission form. Farmers not within driving distance can ship samples and forms overnight.
“Our lab can identify soybean cyst, reniform, root knot and lesion nematodes,” says Kelly. “With adequate numbers, soybean cyst nematodes can reduce yield by as much as 14 bushels per acre. The sooner we can test your soil, the quicker you can protect your future harvest.”
The sample submission form can be found online at utcrops.com under “Soybean Diseases & Nematodes” or by visiting tinyurl.com/yn7cbne5. The West Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center is located at 605 Airways Boulevard in Jackson, Tennessee.
For additional information on soil testing for nematodes, please contact Heather Kelly at youngkelly@tennessee.edu or 731-425-4713. Tennessee residents can also contact their local county Extension office for more information.
The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is comprised of the Herbert College of Agriculture, UT College of Veterinary Medicine, UT AgResearch and UT Extension. Through its land-grant mission of teaching, research and outreach, the Institute touches lives and provides Real. Life. Solutions. to Tennesseans and beyond. utia.tennessee.edu.