b'KIM KENWARDThe Customer ValueRESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER, 20/20 SEED LABSJourney is Crucial Kim@2020seedlabs.ca @2020SeedLabsIF YOU TAKE a poll and ask people what is2020seedlabs.camore importantthe journey or the des-tinationyou are likely to get proponents for both options. Thats why if you ask meNew Tests for Soybean Cyst which one is most important, the answer you will get is BOTH. Nematode are Crucial to Research from 2020 FocusVision report Content Really is King: Content ConsumptionFighting This Pathogenin the B2B Buyers Journey, shared that when B2B buyers were researching new purchases, the top sources of content wereMY R&D TEAM at 20/20 Seednematodes. Very careful micro-the vendors website, followed by onlineLabs Inc. has been working onscopic work is needed to differ-search and social media. When asked howand off for the past eight yearsentiate between unwanted SCN did you find content, survey respondentsto develop a usable, workingand highly desirable beneficial said: DNA-based test for soybeannematodes. Our initial intent inDirectly through vendor website70% cyst nematode (SCN). Thisdeveloping a new test was toInternet search67% will be a key tool to monitorincrease the sensitivity of detec- Social media53% and combat the spread of thistion by capturing both livingSent to me via email41% pathogen, which is prevalentand dormant forms (eg. eggsWord of mouth33% throughout soybean growingand cysts), and to make it pos-Your digital presence is likely going toareas of the United States. sible to specifically identify SCN be potential customers first introduction toIt has a growing presenceacross all of its life stages.your company. Knowing this, here are somein Quebec and Ontario, and isWe validated a DNA test important questions to ask: now showing up in Manitoba,quite early in our test develop-1. How would you rank the look of yourwhere it was first confirmed inment process that was able to companys website on a scale of 1-10? 2019 and shown in July of thisidentify SCN at very low quanti-2. How would you rate your online con- year to repeat in previouslyties. tent on a scale of 1-10? Do you have articlesidentified fields. Positive control test samples or just fact sheets? Do you have videos? Im happy to say these testswere surprisingly difficult to 3. Are you currently active in socialare now progressing to the pilotcome by, but thats probably media? If yes, what is the goal of your cur- stage. a good thing for growers. Im rent marketing? SCN, caused by the micro- very grateful to the university Being armed with this information is thescopic worm Heteroderaand government nematode first step to fine-tuning the customer valueglycines, feed on soybeanresearchers that helped us out.journey. From here you canplant roots forming recogniz- Fall is the best time to take craft how you willable small white lemon-shapedsoil samples in the field. SCN build awareness ofcysts. Their activity restrictsnumbers are highest when the your brand, prod- the plants ability to take upplants are almost mature to ucts and services. nutrients and can reduce theshortly after harvest. Soil sam-number of nitrogen fixationpling is vital.nodules, and restricts the plantsNobody should think they ability to take up nutrients. are immune from the potential With low-level infections,damage caused by this patho-SHAWN BROOK plants can still appear to begen. Once SCN is confirmed in healthy. Once above-grounda field, it can never be eradi-PRESIDENT, SEED WORLDsymptoms of SCN are noticed,cated and spreads quickly. We GROUP yield losses can be expected. must expect SCN to work its sbrook@seedworldgroup.com Traditional Baermann funnelway west, and testing is key to@SeedWorldGroup testing for SCN underestimatesknowing where the pathogen is seedworldgroup.com the amount of SCN presencespreading to and how it can be by only isolating live, movingkept at bay.30GERMINATION.CANOVEMBER 2021'