As farmers and retailers battle soybean cyst nematode (SCN), the emphasis continues to be on using an integrated strategy including resistant soybean varieties, crop rotation with non-host crops, and maintaining good soil fertility.
Now, farmers and retailers have a new tool available for use next spring: biotrinsic Nemora FP, an EPA-registered soybean bionematicide seed treatment from Indigo Ag, Inc.
Jon Giebel, vice president North America Commercial-Biologicals at the company, reports the product contains a naturally occurring Pseudomonas oryzihabitans bacterium that colonizes roots and shoots. After only a few weeks, the microbes coating each seed multiply into the millions around the roots and begin supporting the crop. The microbes also colonize SCN eggs, reducing the number of juveniles that will hatch and injure plants.
“In trials, [Nemora] delivered improved plant health metrics and compelling yield potential while offering growers a biological option that can benefit soil health in the process,” Giebel says in a prepared statement.
SCN is the most costly pest in U.S. soybeans today, routinely reducing yields in affected fields by 5 bushels or more per acre, according to the Crop Protection Network.
October Is SCN Action Month
Indigo Ag announced its new product on Monday, which marks the third National Nematode Day.
The month of October is designated SCN Action Month. For the fifth year, BASF Agricultural Solutions and The SCN Coalition are partnering to provide farmers with the latest insights, tools and resources to effectively manage SCN and protect soybean yield potential heading into the 2026 growing season.
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, in preparation for next year.
“The most sustainable management approach to minimize SCN yield loss is a multi-faceted plan that can include growing nonhost crops in rotation with SCN-resistant soybean varieties and use of nematode-protectant seed treatments on the soybeans,” says Greg Tylka, Morrill professor, Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology at Iowa State University, in a statement.
New Seed Treatment Option Available For 2026
Giebel says Nemora is a microbial seed treatment in flowable powder (FP) format for soybeans and is available for planter-box treatment or through Indigo’s CLIPS delivery system. It contains a naturally occurring Pseudomonas oryzihabitans bacterium that colonizes roots and shoots.
How Nemora works:
- It stimulates Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR) and forms a biofilm that supports robust root colonization.
- The biological colony prevents eggs on the roots from hatching, slowing the soybean cyst nematode lifecycle without disrupting beneficial nematodes in the soil.
- Once in the soil, the Pseudomonas active in Nemora recruits a diverse and specialized community of plant growth-promoting bacteria to aid in plant development.
What soybean growers can expect:
- Direct impact on SCN lifecycle: Average 68% reduction in egg hatch.
- Longer tap roots, more root biomass, and whiter roots.
- Thicker plant shoots and improved emergence.
- No interference with nodulation.
- No phytotoxicity or halo effect.
- Nemora can provide the same yield advantage as products like chemical solutions available on the market.
