The sugar-beet cyst nematode, Heterodera schachtii, was first discovered on red beets in Syracuse in 1961 and near Lyons, New York, in 1970. This nematode is now known to be distributed throughout the red beet- and cabbage-growing areas of New York. High populations have caused considerable economic losses on 2 farms, and very light infestations are known to occur on approximately 20 additional farms. The sugar-beet cyst nematode is a major limiting factor in the production of sugar beets in the United States and other countries of the world. Sugar-beet industries have been eliminated where control measures were not practiced.