Recommendations for Identifying and Managing Nematodes

Seedsman Colby Woods discusses how to identify and manage nematodes.

Key Takeaways:

• Nematode damage can make it seem as if there is a water issue or stand issue.

• Taking soil samples is one of the best ways to detect nematodes.

What is your recommendation for identifying and managing nematodes?

In our area, the nematodes, we're really starting to bring more attention to them. Because we've had areas in the fields where we might've thought it was either water issue or something else going on, soil type, but when we really dug into it we did take some soil samples. Our university is getting big into testing. They encourage farmers to go out and do it. So I've had a couple of farmers myself, that we've gone out in these troubled areas and actually tested for nematodes. And we've had a large population where, you know, what we thought was maybe, you know, just a stand issue, or a standing water, or whatever it may be. It actually ended up being that there was a higher population of nematodes. And we've since then, you know, added the seed treatment onto the corn and that seemed to have, you know, pretty good results on the years. We're keeping our yields, so to say, when it comes to harvest time.