By Nufarm

As farmers round the corner looking ahead to spring, seed selection for soybeans, corn, and cotton has many attributes to consider for 2023. Maturity range, herbicide tolerance, other trait packages, and genetic or chemical protection against nematodes are considerations of what to include to minimize yield-robbing pressures. 

The soybean trait of PI88788 has the most presence in the marketplace. Testing from 2000 through 2022 has shown that populations of female reproductive Soybean Cyst Nematode (SCN) are on the rise and are continuing to hinder high yield environment for soybeans. Corn and cotton live nematode pressure in irrigated sands and early planted dark soils are limiting yields. With no rescue treatment for nematodes, the time to provide protection against the threat of nematodes is when the seed is treated. Growers are continuing to leverage technology such as soil sampling for SCN or spring sampling for live nematodes and reviewing yield maps to identify and monitor nematode pest pressure.

Nematodes are a $10B yield robber in the US, with $1B of that attributed to SCN alone. What is concerning is that the nematode issue is escalating. Specific drivers include:

1. Nematode populations continue to spread and intensify in the US
2. Nematodes are beginning to overcome genetic resistance in soybean varieties
3. Low awareness of nematode problems among growers – where damage and subsequent strain on the plant caused by the unseen pest is often misattributed to disease, insects, or environmental conditions such as drought

This results in one of two things: either growers are facing nematodes unaware that they have a problem or, equally alarming, they’re aware they have nematode issues and believe they have an effective management plan when in fact they’re finding themselves unprotected.

Trunemco Nematode Management is a seed applied technology for cotton, corn, and soybeans that offers a leading level of protection from parasitic nematode damage, providing a dual defense inside and outside of the plant.

Inside: Trunemco’s chemical component primes a plant’s physiology to defend against nematodes in three ways.

1. Stimulates the plant’s natural defenses against nematodes as soon as the plant germinates while providing a positive effect on early plant growth
2. Produces compounds that produce physical barriers including the thickening of cell walls
3. Primes the plant cell’s response to invasion, sequestering nematode within a damaged cell and killing the invader

Outside: As an added defense Trunemco’s microbial component colonizes around the newly established root zone creating a physical barrier making it difficult for nematodes to reach the plant in the first place, during a critical early growth stage.

At Nufarm, our Mission is to Grow a Better Tomorrow and we’re dedicated to helping growers and industry partners do exactly that. As we continue to measure Trunemco results across multiple geographies and soil types, we are pleased to see data demonstrating protection levels that outperform other leading products available on the market today. Trunemco simply is an important and effective tool in helping growers combat nematodes and achieve yield potential in soybeans, cotton, and corn.