Use Best Management Practice to Manage Soybean Diseases

Common soybean diseases of the leaves, root, stem and pod can threaten crop production throughout the growing season, prompting pod and seed decay and leading to significant yield loss.

Typically, fungal diseases can occur as early-season foliar disease, but continue after flowering. Foliar disease reduces photosynthesis, causes leaf drop and affects pod set.

Soybean fungal diseases include: anthracnose; Septoria leaf spot (brown spot); brown stem rot; charcoal rot; damping-off; powdery mildew; frogeye leaf spot; Fusarium root rot; Phytophthora root and stem rot; Cercospora blight, leaf spot and purple seed stain; Rhizoctonia root rot; and Sclerotinia stem rot (white mold).

Best Practices to Manage Soybean Diseases

Best management practices help minimize the potential for fungicide resistance and include cultural practices, planting disease-tolerant hybrids and applying fungicides with multiple modes of action.

Rotate crops and manage weeds

Because disease organisms can survive in infected residue from crop to crop, there are several cultural practices that can help break this cycle and diminish disease pressure. For example, crop rotation allows surface crop residue to break down, reducing fungal inoculum populations. Incorporating crop residue into the soil can further reduce the disease population the following season. Good weed control removes disease hosts, too.

Plant disease-tolerant varieties

Before planting, a field’s specific disease history should be taken into account and then matched with a resistant soybean variety. For example disease-tolerant seed traits, specific to soybean growers, can be found in many soybean seed varieties. Select seed varieties that can provide built-in protection against stem canker, frogeye leaf spot and Phytophthora root rot.

Foliar fungicide applications in soybeans

Applying foliar fungicides is another important step to prevent or manage many diseases.

Delaro^® fungicide offers an unmatched broad-spectrum control. Its advanced formulation delivers the latest triazole technology in a best-in-class dual mode of action residual and improved plant health. In soybeans, the ideal time to first apply Delaro is prior to disease development, between R2 and R5, with applications repeated as necessary. Disease-susceptible cultivars and seed soybeans are most likely to benefit from a Delaro application. For cost efficiency, Delaro can be tankmixed with insecticides and applied in the same trip across the field.

For more information on soybean disease control options from Bayer, contact your local Crop Science representative. Always read and follow label instructions.

Before applying any fungicide, please read the entire label for the best possible results and to confirm that the product is effective on the disease you need to control. Every product is not suitable for every situation, and correct application technique will ensure the best results.

^{© 2019 Bayer CropScience LP, 800 North Lindbergh Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63167. Always read and follow label instructions. Bayer, the Bayer Cross, Delaro and Stratego, are registered trademarks of Bayer. Not all products are registered for use in all states. For additional product information, call toll-free 1-866-99-BAYER (1-866-992-2937) or visit our website at www.CropScience.Bayer.us. SE0418MULTIPB347S00R0}