Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

An MacGuidwin called the meeting to order and welcomed participants at 8:30 a.m. on December 10, 2008 in Chicago, IL. This meeting was held in conjunction with the American Seed Trade Association and the NCDC 214 (Corn Pathology Committee) as well as other committees. This meeting was held within nine months of the last meeting to facilitate interactions with the Corn Pathology Committee (NCDC214) which was interested in discussion of results and future plans with NC1035 members participating in the corn nematode surveys sponsored by Syngenta Corporation. State reports were presented with the information organized by project objectives: 1.) Develop, evaluation, improve, and integrate management techniques for SCN in the NCR to increase grower profitability. Most committee members participated in the regional variety tests managed by the National Soybean Research Laboratory, Urbana-Champagne, IL either through field trials or greenhouse testing of the 334 soybean lines. These data were published in the fall and spring prior to the next growing season. Development of a common web link for all variety performance reports was initiated. Additional research involved collaboration on evaluation of soybean lines for each state. A collaborative study funded by North Central Soybean Research Program on the assessment of SCN population HG Types specifically in relation to reproduction on PI 88788 ended in 2008 and results were compared to studies in other states conducting similar studies. Research on interactions of SCN with other pests was included. 2.) Determine and apply the concepts of invasion biology as revealed by SCN epidemiology. Discussion for objective two focused on clarification of procedures to complete this objective. Several states initiated the Tier 1 and 2 studies characterizing SCN invasive biology. In February 2008 a proposal was resubmitted to NRI- Nematodes and Arthropods, Organismal Biology entitled, Ecology of Nematode-suppressive Soils in Midwest Soybean-cropping Systems. The 4-year project was funded in full to address three objectives: 1) Quantify the effects of rotation with non-host crop and resistant soybean, and tillage on soil suppressiveness to Heterodera glycines; 2) Identify functional groups and key species of parasitic, antagonistic or predaceous fungi and bacteria involved in suppression of Heterodera glycines and their response to cropping systems that vary in crop rotation and tillage; 3) Compare community composition and food web structure of predaceous, fungivorous and bacterivorous nematodes associated with suppression of Heterodera glycines and their response to cropping systems that vary in crop rotation and tillage. 3.) Develop decision-support data bases for management of SCN and other regionally important nematodes. Standard operating procedures for screening SCN resistant lines (Standard Cyst Evaluation 2008 -SEC08) was developed in cooperation with industry and accepted at the 4th National SCN Conference by industry, public and private researchers. . A manuscript is in draft stage. A NSF funded study using complete nematode community structure analysis has been completed for five types of ecosystems. A study of plant parasitic nematodes found in Vermont vegetable production fields was conducted and Pratylenchus were found in highest levels.

Short-term outcomes: More unbiased information on SCN resistant varieties and soybean yield in relation to SCN population density is available. Outputs: Publications are reported in the Publications section. Activities: Objective One: - Virulence profiles for SCN populations were conducted in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Ontario, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Host resistance for managing SCN was evaluated in Ontario, Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and Tennessee. The impact of soil disturbance and tillage on SCN was measured in Indiana, Minnesota, and Tennessee. The interaction of SCN with other pests and pathogens was studies in Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Ontario, and Wisconsin. Alternative host studies were conducted in Indiana and Ontario. Community structure studies were conducted in Michigan, Vermont, and Tennessee. Objective Two: Field results from candidate fields for Tier II activities were compared. Funding for this objective was secured. Objective Three: An SOP for screening resistant lines to SCN was developed (SEC08). Lists of SCN-resistant varieties available commercially were compiled by Illinois, Iowa, Ontario, and Tennessee and provided to soybean producers. Milestones: Data on corn nematodes was presented to corn pathologists to further cooperation between the two groups.