The Effect of Temperature and Moisture on the Survival of Heterodera glycines in the Absence of a Host.

Soybean-cyst nematode larvae survived in water up to 630 days, depending on incubation temperature. Most larvae were killed when ice crystals formed in water, and all died after 1 day at 40 C. At temperatures of 0, 4, 8 and 12 C, larvae survived for the duration of the experiments (630 days). From 16 to 36 C, survival was inversely correlated with temperature. In naturally infested soil, nematode survival was similax but more extended and related to moisture level. Larvae survived 7-19 months in flooded soil, 29-38 months in dry soil, and for 90 months in soil maintained near its field capacity.