2005 Annual Report 4d.Progress report. This report serves to document research under a Specific Cooperative Agreement between ARS and the University of Tennessee (UT). Additional details of research can be found in the report for the parent research project 6402-21220-008-00D, Genetic and Cultural Methods to Manage Cyst Nematode in Soybean. In the Mid South, soybean production system is rapidly changing. Early maturity soybean groups, especially 3 and 4s are recommended for planting. These groups are more profitable to growers. Nearly, all cultivars used in early production system are potentially high yielding but, highly susceptible to southern insect pests as well as to SCN. Most pests, which cause soybean yield loss include loopers, corn ear worm, etc. Dr. Gary Lentz at UT is screening soybean germplasm for insect resistance (loopers) in his greenhouse feeding trials. He is utilizing initially all the soybean germplasm lines that are resistant to SCN. Several lines resistant to insects that were released by VPI (Blacksburg) are included recently for their evaluation under field conditions. Resistant lines identified in his collaborative research will be later used in soybean breeding for developing insect and as well as SCN resistant cultivars. This collaborative research is in progress.