A Modified Screening Test for Determining Heterodera glycines Resistance in Soybean

A modified version of a standard greenhouse bioassay for determining soybean cyst resistance in soybean plants is described. White plastic laundry tubs served as microplots for rearing large numbers of nematodes in a confined space; up to 3 million eggs of each generation were collected per tub. Before screening, SCN populations were evaluated on susceptible and resistant soybean to characterize female development; these were periodically retested. Screening tests took place in Todd planter flats (120 plants per flat). Test plants were inoculated with 1,200 eggs per plant and evaluated for resistance 33-37 days after inoculation. The plants were pruned at the cotyledonary node which resulted in a greatly reduced root system. Staining the roots in Toluidine Blue created contrast with the white females and facilitated counting. Greenhouse space was conserved, and the labor to set up and maintain the screening test was reduced.