Nematicide treatment offers solution in western Corn Belt

A new seed treatment is showing positive signs for farmers who may face parasitic nematodes in corn and soybean fields in the western Corn Belt.

The Acceleron team from Bayer Crop Science recently reviewed test plots in eastern Colorado and northwest Kansas. The region predominantly plants corn although there are some soybean acres in growers’ portfolios. Plant-parasitic nematodes are microscopic worms found in the soil that feed on plant roots, contributing to yield loss. Parasitic nematodes weaken the plant’s root mass or allow other pests or pathogens to attack the plant, according to the Acceleron team.

NemaStrike Technology, a nematicide seed treatment with a novel mode of action, can help growers and will be available in spring 2019. Growers will be able to purchase the technology as a seed-applied treatment on corn, soybeans and cotton. NemaStrike Technology has been in the works for the past four years, starting with Monsanto, which is now owned by Bayer Crop Science.

One of the goals of a recent field tour was to help educate growers on resources available and raise awareness of when an unwanted nematode enters the field, particularly in a region where growers might not consider the parasite a problem.

Chris Dorman, a crop advisor and seed dealer for Simplot in Burlington, Colorado, termed the product’s performance as “groundbreaking.”

“Over the past few years the nematodes have been a sleeping giant. We have not been paying attention to it,” Dorman said. “We have paid attention to the drought, as we should, but the nematode population is growing as we are seeing more pressure and at the same time the problem was under diagnosed.”

David Brachtenbach, a technical agronomist for the DeKalb Asgrow Seed division working with the Acceleron team to conduct NemaStrike Technology trials, said Mother Nature challenged the 12 trial plots in his region.

To have a good test required finding a field in which soil samples indicated there was a high number of the nematode pests in the soil, Dorman said. Having NemaStrike Technology and non-treated seed placed in rows side by side in an irrigated field provided the best way to see how it performed.

“You can see the difference with the NemaStrike Technology,” Dorman said.

As of Oct. 26 weather prevented harvest and five of the plots did not survive expansive hailstorms throughout in the growing season, Brachtenbach reported. Still, the sample areas of the seven surviving plots were enough to see the results the Acceleron team had hoped to see. The team undertook root digs, which is essential to see how NemaStrike Technology worked in comparison to untreated corn plants.

Brachtenbach, a native of eastern Colorado, said the treatment stays in the root zone for up to 75 days and is a broad spectrum product meaning it can control any of the 12 common parasitic species, such as lesion, dagger or root-knot nematodes. NemaStrike Technology offers low water solubility that works in drought or excessive rain conditions.

Dorman was confident in recommending the product to his customers because it does offer a positive return on investment.

“It will take a bushel or less to pay the cost of the technology where the expense of applying an insecticide would take four to five bushels to pay for itself. Anything we can put out there to protect bushels also protects the farmer’s investment and his return on investment.”

Yield reductions hurt a bottom line with estimations of 10.2 percent yield loss in corn and 10.6 percent in soybean due to nematode damage, with today’s grain prices a drop of revenue of $20 and $15 an acre, respectively, if the crops are not treated, according to the Acceleron team. Results of four years of NemaStrike Technology field trials saw an average yield protection advantage of 6 bushels per acre in corn and 2.2 bushels in soybeans.

“We are looking at targeting parasites that will feed on the plant, whether corn, soybeans or cotton,” Brachtenbach said. “They will feed on the roots and potentially inhibit nutrient uptake in the plant.”

Some of the parasites will only damage the exterior of the plant while others will go deeper into the plant, he said.

“Both can cause significant damage,” Brachtenbach said.

The presence of nematode species can vary based on environmental conditions, soil type and presence of actively growing plants. Typical symptoms can look like wilting (drought), yellowing (malnutrition), stunting (disease) or even show no symptoms at all. Nematode problems are more associated with soybeans (soybean cyst nematode) but infestations have been on the increase in cornfields.

There are beneficial nematodes, Brachtenbach said, but they do not feed on the plant therefore are not targeted by NemaStrike Technology. In the western corn belt region the focus was on 12 species that can cut yields.

Only 8 percent of corn farmers and 25 percent of soybean farmers believe plant-parasitic nematodes impacted their yields in the past four years, according to a recent survey conducted by Monsanto. In 2016, a study throughout the Corn Belt indicated that more than 80 percent of all acres sampled had plant-parasitic nematodes. Reasons for lack of awareness include—limited grower knowledge, limited plant-parasitic nematode sampling and damage misattribution.

Brachtenbach and Dorman both encourage growers to do soil sampling to help in their decision-making process. The microscopic round worm is impossible to see and identify with an eye test.

In the western corn belt some producers thought soil type, growing cycles and crop production practices made it less susceptible to parasitic nematode; however, the implementation of no-till and other practices have helped the pest to take a foothold.

The population has been increasing the past 20 years and Acceleron has been working to find answers to help growers, Brachtenbach said. They also had to note changes in growers’ equipment. Many newer planters no longer have insecticide boxes so it makes sense to have Nemastrike Technology on the seed itself.

Dave Bergmeier can be reached at 620-227-1822 or [email protected].