a tank filled with nematodes

Using nematodes to control crop pests

Alberta research and U.S. commercialization suggest soil-dwelling nematodes could become a practical option for Prairie pest control

Alberta research and U.S. commercialization suggest soil-dwelling nematodes could become a practical option for Prairie pest control.

Tenuta can often be spotted at field days in a Hawaiian shirt, enthusiastically presenting new soil research or chatting with farmers.

Researcher focuses on farmers’ real-world problems

Groundbreaker: Mario Tenuta’s love of learning, and desire to be useful, have driven his career as a soil scientist

You’ve probably seen Dr. Mario Tenuta at an ag field day or a soil seminar. He’s the guy in the Hawaiian shirt, having a good time giving a presentation about new soil research or talking to farmers about what’s going on at their farms. Tenuta is a tenured soil ecology professor at the University of […] Read more


Soybean field infested with soybean cyst nematodes.

Plant parasites

Some soil nematodes can harm your crops. Here are the ones to watch for

Some soil nematodes are beneficial, providing important soil health benefits for crops. However, there are some that can negatively affect pulses and other crops. According to Mario Tenuta, a University of Manitoba soil scientist, harmful soil nematodes can reduce yields by siphoning off the contents of roots and stems, robbing the plants of energy and […] Read more

Though soybean cyst nematode has not yet been detected in the Prairies, 
its arrival is impending.

Nematodes: they’re molecular mimics

Nematodes are tiny pests with big impacts: parasitic cyst nematodes are quickly becoming a major economic concern for soybean, corn, sugar beet and potato producers. Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) made its grand entrance in the U.S. in the 1950s, and since then has become soybean producers’ top pest, causing significant yield losses annually. In Canada, […] Read more



Soybean cyst nematodes on the Prairies?

Soybean cyst nematodes on the Prairies?

This yield-stealing roundworm moves with soil. And it's probably on its way to your soybean field

The soybean cyst nematode is the number one yield robber in soybean crops in Ontario and the U.S. This parasitic roundworm has been in North America since the mid-1950s, with the first detection in North Carolina, says Albert Tenuta, provincial field crop pathologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Since then […] Read more


Jim Blome is the president and CEO of Bayer CropScience LP in North America.

Bayer looks ahead to the future

Bayer CropScience’s CEO says its product range and focus on research drives success

In late August at the U.S. Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Illinois, Jim Blome, president and CEO of Bayer CropScience LP for North America, spoke to ag media about Bayer’s business. Some customers might be put off by the sheer size of Bayer, a multinational company headquartered in Germany. When all facets of the company […] Read more