Soybean Cyst Nematode Demands to Speak With Manager of Soybean

A female Heterodera glycines embedded in a soybean root in central Iowa has reportedly demanded to speak with 'whoever is in charge of this plant' after encountering what she described as 'an unacceptable change in service quality' following the deployment of the Rhg1 resistance locus. 'I've been feeding on this cultivar for three generations,' the cyst nematode said through a syncytium she had painstakingly induced in the root cortex. 'The nutrient flow was excellent. The vascular access was superb. And now suddenly my feeding site is undergoing a hypersensitive response? This is not what I was promised.' The resistance gene, introduced through conventional breeding by agronomists at Iowa State University, triggers programmed cell death at the nematode's feeding site, effectively cutting off its nutrient supply. 'We deployed Rhg1 as part of an integrated pest management strategy,' said plant pathologist Dr. Glycine Maxima. 'It's working exactly as intended. The nematode's complaint has been noted and filed in the same folder as all pest grievances, which is the recycling bin.' The nematode has since posted a lengthy screed on what she calls 'the rhizosphere community board,' warning other cyst nematodes about the cultivar. 'Zero stars. Would not parasitize again. The syncytium collapsed after two weeks and nobody even apologized. Going to switch to a susceptible variety down the road.' Agronomists have responded by deploying Rhg1 in that field as well. The nematode's cyst has since formed prematurely, which she insists is 'a lifestyle choice and not a direct consequence of starvation.'