Stephen Butz, a farmer near Kankakee, Illinois, said on Apr. 20 that he is shifting his entire soybean acreage to varieties with Peking resistance in response to persistent yield losses from soybean cyst nematode (SCN). After years of watching corn yields rise while soybeans remained stagnant, Butz identified SCN as a key factor holding back his farm’s performance.
The issue matters because SCN can cause significant hidden losses for farmers. According to Butz, “Our soybeans were just plateauing.” A split-field trial revealed an almost 20-bushel-per-acre difference between two soybean varieties, with the higher-yielding one carrying Peking resistance. Soil tests later confirmed high SCN populations across several fields.
Butz explained that after learning about the impact of SCN and seeing soil counts as high as 5,000 per sample, he decided for spring 2026 to plant only Enlist soybeans with Peking resistance. “This spring, we are going with 100% Peking,” he said. He added that the goal is not necessarily increasing bushels but rather stopping the yield drag caused by SCN: “We’re not so much adding bushels (with the Peking) as we expect to relieve the stress that’s been taking bushels away.”
His management plan also includes rotating crops and alternating between different types of SCN-resistant technologies over time. Looking ahead, Butz hopes to use new technology such as BASF Agricultural Solutions’ Nemasphere trait—described by Hugo Borsari of BASF as a biotech solution using a Cry14 protein engineered into soybeans—to further address nematode issues.
Butz said improved soybean protection brings logistical and financial benefits by spreading out planting and harvest workloads and improving crop rotation compared to continuous corn. He encouraged other growers not to overlook potential hidden losses: “There’s plenty of people out there that might be losing 10, 15 bushels off the top… You’re freaking losing $100 an acre pretty quick that would help a lot with your bottom line.”
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