October is SCN Action Month, and for the fifth year in a row, BASF Agricultural Solutions has partnered with The SCN Coalition to raise awareness about the threat of soybean cyst nematode to your soybean fields. Throughout October, the organizations will provide you with emerging research, tools and resources needed to effectively manage SCN during the 2026 growing season.
Here are a few key details you should know to help you manage this growing threat to your crop.
Soybean cyst nematode threat: by the numbers
Left unmanaged, SCN populations can significantly reduce yields. For example, in 2024, soybean cyst nematode was the top yield-robbing threat to U.S. soybeans, responsible for the loss of nearly 89.5 million bushels.1
What’s more, SCN feeding creates additional vectors for soybean sudden death syndrome (SDS) and other soilborne diseases. In the U.S. alone, SCN causes more than $1.5 billion in revenue losses for soybean yields annually.2
Historical BASF data show that over the over four seasons of testing soils, it was found that SCN was present in greater than 80% of 6,000 samples received. Damaging levels of nematodes were found in more than half of all samples. There’s no question SCN is widespread across the U.S., and preventive soybean cyst nematode identification measures are needed to contain further yield loss.3
How soil testing can help you evaluate soybean cyst nematode prevalence in-field
BASF and The SCN Coalition recommend farmers proactively sample fields post-harvest for soybean cyst nematode symptoms to safeguard crop health and maximize their yields.
It’s a good idea to gather 20 soil cores between 0” and 6” deep.4 Use a soil probe or spade, and follow a zig-zag pattern. SCN is especially prevalent in places such as field entrances, fence lines, low-lying areas and field areas producing low-yield or stunted crops.
Lab analysis will establish whether or not soybean cyst nematode is present in your field and, if so, the level of infestation.
Several additional actions can be taken to combat SCN, including rotating crops, planting SCN-resistant plant varieties and investing in effective seed treatments.
Soybean cyst nematode control solutions
To put together an SCN management strategy for the upcoming season, connect with your local BASF representative and visit SCNfields.com to learn more about the prevalence of SCN in your local area. You’ll also be able to assess the potential economic toll from SCN in your fields based on these resources and your soil-sample analysis.
Ask your local BASF representative about products that can help you address soybean cyst nematode symptoms in your fields. For example, Ilevo® seed treatment is the only proven treatment that protects against both SCN and SDS, a costly disease that is often exacerbated by SCN.
Emerging solutions for fighting SCN include BASF’s Nemasphere. It’s the first and only commercial biotechnology seed trait innovation for SCN. It uses a novel mode of action to protect roots and has been shown to boost yields 8% on average.5
Technology is evolving alongside this crafty nematode, and future innovations will leverage artificial intelligence to build SCN-detecting tools.
Join the growing soybean cyst nematode coalition
You and your operation can join BASF and The SCN Coalition in the effort to stop the spread of SCN. Visit SCNActionMonth.com to learn more.
Experts are available to help you make your soybean cyst nematode control decisions. Reach out to your regional BASF representative to get started.
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Endnotes
- Crop Protection Network. Soybean Disease Loss Estimates from the United States and Ontario, Canada — 2024. 14 Mar. 2025. https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/publications/soybean-disease-loss-estimates-from-the-united-states-and-ontario-canada-2024. Accessed 2 July 2025.
- Crop Protection Network. Crop Protection Network: Field Crop Disease and Insect Loss Calculator, https://loss.cropprotectionnetwork.org/. Accessed 2 July 2025.
- SCN Fields. SCN Fields, BASF, https://www.scnfields.com/. Accessed 2 July 2025.
- Strunk, Connie, and Connie Tande. Scout and Soil Test for the Soybean Cyst Nematode. SDSU Extension, 25 Aug. 2020, https://extension.sdstate.edu/scout-and-soil-test-soybean-cyst-nematode. Accessed 2 July 2025.
- BASF Ag Solutions US. Nemasphere® — A Revolutionary Breakthrough in the Fight Against Nematodes. YouTube, 4 Dec. 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAEY6UKcqvY. Accessed 2 July 2025.
