The microscopic soybean cyst nematode (SCN) may be small, but it has a massive impact. This pest latches onto soybean roots, feeding on their nutrients and leaving a trail of destruction that costs farmers billions in yield losses each year. Unfortunately, current methods to combat SCN are faltering as the pest grows resistant to traditional controls. But new research is now offering a glimmer of hope.
A collaborative team of scientists from BASF Agricultural Solutions and the Advanced Bioimaging Laboratory at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is working on a potential solution: a special protein known as Cry14. Published in the journal Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions, their study details how Cry14 could revolutionize the fight against SCN.
Lead author R. Howard Berg and his team have developed a way to genetically equip soybean plants with this special protein. This approach, long used in other crops such as corn and cotton to combat insect pests, has now been implemented successfully to prevent SCN from feeding on soybean roots.
This study addresses key scientific questions about the Cry14 protein, including its function and its potential to enhance existing agricultural products for farmers. The study demonstrates that combining Cry14 with current treatment options reduces the SCN population in soybean roots, ultimately leading to higher soybean yields.