The soybean cyst nematode (SCN), Heterodera glycines, is one of the major constraint to soybean production in the Northeast of the Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil. After a period of recommended management of infested areas, the recent resurgence of high population densities and severe damage to soybeans, regardless of the use of resistant cultivars, has led to the hypothesis that nematode races could be changing. Thus, in 2006/2007 and 2007/2008 growing seasons, highly infested soil from 22 farms in the municipalities of Água Clara, Chapadão do Sul and Costa Rica were sampled. After being multiplied in soybean cv. BRS 133 for up to three generations, the SCN populations from each soil sample were submitted to standard test for the determination of races, adding the cultivar Hartwig as one of the differential hosts to eventually detect the possible presence of races 4+ or 14+. Among the four races detected, the race 4 was predominant (72.73% of samples), followed by races 14, 5 and 6 (18.19%, 4.54% and 4.54% of the samples, respectively). There was no significant change in the races of H. glycines in the Northeast of the Mato Grosso do Sul State, Brazil.
Glycine max; distribution; management; soybean cyst nematode; variability
