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Begin Managing White Mold In Soybeans This Spring

By United Soybean Board
 
 
White Mold PA
 
5 tips for preventing this disease before planting
 
White mold can be damaging for soybeans, and farmers should consider implementing management practices this spring in fields prone to the disease.
 
Soybean farmers should use an integrated approach to white mold management, and some of the most effective practices are implemented in the spring. The key is to select practices that have been proven to reduce white mold if it occurs but will not reduce yields significantly if environmental conditions don’t favor white mold.
 
When managing white mold, it is helpful to understand the principles of the disease triangle:
 
  1. A susceptible host
  2. The presence of the pathogen
  3. Favorable weather conditions
White mold disease only occurs when all three factors come together. By altering any of the three, farmers can influence disease development. Ways to alter the triangle include variety selection, affecting canopy microclimate through planting rate and row width and managing the pathogen itself.
 
Variety Selection
Varieties vary significantly in their susceptibility to white mold, and planting the most resistant varieties in fields prone to white mold is a key management practice. All seed company catalogs provide relative white mold ratings for the varieties they offer. These ratings provide valuable information when comparing varieties from a given seed company. However, they are less useful for comparing the level of white mold tolerance among varieties from different companies.
 
Selecting varieties that resist lodging and have a narrower canopy width can also reduce the incidence and severity of white mold. Planting varieties from a range of maturity groups may help some fields avoid severe white mold infestations by staggering the susceptible flowering period. This occurred in 2014 in Michigan, when the early-maturing varieties tended to avoid white mold infection and development.
 
Planting Rate
Reducing planting rates can reduce white mold incidence by decreasing the potential for lodging and plant-to-plant spread of the disease. Most agronomists agree that a harvest population of 100,000 uniformly-spaced plants per acre will maximize economic returns, even in the absence of white mold. This would be a reasonable target to aim for in fields having a high potential to develop white mold. There are many factors that determine soybean germination and emergence, and farmers should account for these when reducing planting rates.
 
Emerson Nafziger and Dennis Bowman at the University of Illinois developed an excellent soybean planting rate calculator. It allows users to fine-tune planting rates by entering the final stand they want to achieve and adjusting germination and emergence percentages for seed quality and planting conditions.
 
Row Spacing
Rows greater than 20 inches wide can decrease the threat of white mold but may not always lead to a yield increase. University row-spacing trials have shown 30-inch rows reduce soybean yields by approximately three bushels per acre when compared with 15-inch rows.
 
Nutrient Management
Applications of nitrogen fertilizers or manure have been shown to increase early plant growth and canopy closure, creating favorable conditions for developing white mold. Therefore, nitrogen fertilizer and manure applications should be avoided in fields with a history of the disease. Nitrogen fertilizer applications to soybeans are rarely profitable anyway, making this the easiest practice to implement.
 
Biological Control
Farmers may also consider applying a biological control product, such as Contans  to fields with a history of severe white mold. Contans contains Coniothyrium minitans, a naturally-occurring fungus that attacks and degrades sclerotia in the soil. The products should be incorporated into the soil as uniformly as possible to a depth of two inches, at least three months prior to initial soybean bloom.
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Trending Video

AJ Armstrong Takes the Helm as Manitoba Seed Growers President

Video: AJ Armstrong Takes the Helm as Manitoba Seed Growers President

The Manitoba Seed Growers Association (MSGA) held its first annual SeedLink Conference in Brandon last week, where a new president was appointed to take the helm of the organization.

A.J. Armstrong of Armstrong Seeds in Boissevain took the gavel from Past-President Tom Greaves. In a sit-down interview, Armstrong shared insights into his personal journey within the seed industry. Born into a family deeply rooted in seed cultivation, he took the reins of the family business in 2003, building on a legacy initiated by his father in 1980.

Regulatory modernization emerged as a significant focus of the conversation. While acknowledging the complexities of the process, Armstrong expressed optimism about the potential benefits for seed growers once the regulatory framework is finalized.

Discussing the dynamics of working with family in a business setting, he stressed the importance of open communication.

Operating with a streamlined team that includes his mom as the bookkeeper, his father as the “gopher” handling specific tasks, and a dedicated employee for day-to-day operations, the Armstrong family has successfully navigated the intricate balance of personal and professional relationships.

Open discussions about roles, responsibilities, and business plans contribute significantly to the smooth functioning of a family-operated seed business,” he said.

SeedLink is a new event; the decision to explore a return to a two-day annual meeting format sparked enthusiasm among industry partners, including key players and sponsors like SeCan, FP Genetics, Canterra Seeds, and numerous others.