Control of Soil-Borne Disease of Soybean

Authors

Gretchen F. Sassenrath, Kansas State UniversityFollow
Christopher R. Little, Kansas State University, ManhattanFollow
Xiaomao Lin, Kansas State UniversityFollow
Sylvia R.G. Moraes, Kansas State UniversityFollow

Keywords

soybean production, charcoal rot, Macrophomina phaseolina, soil health, soybean cyst nematode, suppressive soils

Abstract

Soil-borne diseases are a significant cause of reduction in crop yield. Alternative management of soils can enhance the natural disease-controlling organisms in the soil. This study explores the impact of alternative production methods on a primary soybean disease, charcoal rot, caused by the fungus Macrophomina phaseolina. Treatments that could potentially enhance or control the disease were implemented, and soil tests were conducted for nutrient and disease presence. Manure increased the nutrient levels in the soil, as expected, but did not impact the disease control. Solarization increased the temperature within the plots, and increased the number of colony forming units of M. phaseolina. Environmental conditions during the 2022 growing season were much hotter and drier than normal, leading to reduced soybean yields.

Recommended Citation

Sassenrath, Gretchen F.; Little, Christopher R.; Lin, Xiaomao; and Moraes, Sylvia R.G. (2023) "Control of Soil-Borne Disease of Soybean," Kansas Agricultural Experiment Station Research Reports: Vol. 9: Iss. 2. https://doi.org/10.4148/2378-5977.8445