The overall mission of the Public-Private Partnership, The SCN Coalition, is to help soybean growers reduce yield loss from aggressive populations of the soybean cyst nematode (SCN) that developed from overuse of a single source of SCN resistance (PI88788). In this project, we proposed a multi-media campaign to increase SCN-awareness and active management growers by expanding use of the SCN Profit Checker Tool. The SCN Profit Checker Tool provides growers with the first field-specific estimate of yield loss occurring on their farm. To accomplish this, we created and initiated a multi-media marketing campaign around the tool (deliverable 1), are identifying experimental locations for tool validation and marketing (deliverable 2), provided technical support to users (deliverable 3), and designed and initiated are national market on grower awareness, management and tool usage this fall. As this project has an Extension until January 31, 2025, updates will follow this report.

Soybean Cyst Nematode remains the most important economically-limiting biological threat to soybeans in the United States. Increased awareness of the SCN threat and active management among growers protects yield and farmers profits. The impacts of the SCN Coalition, a public-private partnership of soybean grower organizations, private companies and universities continue to facilitate increases in awareness and management changes nationally. Between 2015 and 2020, the impact of the SCN Coalition included an increase of active management tool usage between 6-18% among growers nationally (depending on specific tool), resulting in savings exceeding $100M. The new SCN Profit Checker Tool builds on this success and provides soybean growers the first field-specific tool that estimates loss to SCN on their farm. In fall 2024, we again measure the impacts of the SCN Coalition efforts to determine national awareness, changes in management and economic impact.