Research is being done on Sudden Death Syndrome in soybeans. K-State Research and Extension plant pathologist Rodrigo Onofre and graduate student researcher Madison Kessler have been doing research on preventing sudden death syndrome in soybeans.

Onofre says SDS is more common in areas where soils are cold and wet. Parts of Canada and the U.S. – including Kansas – have become more susceptible to those conditions due to some farmers’ choosing earlier planting dates.

Kessler said the university has found that picking a resistant cultivar (a cultivated plant that has been selected for desired traits) and applying a biological seed treatment with a non-biological treatment are the best management techniques to prevent SDS.

Onofre added that the incidence of SDS correlates to the presence of the soybean cyst nematode in a field. He urges producers to sample for the nematode after harvest. Testing is available from the K-State Plant Diagnostic lab, and can be coordinated through local extension offices in Kansas