Seedling Diseases of Soybean: Management and Education

This team has developed many new tools, approaches and educational products from prior USB and NCSRP funded research. This proposed research will utilize these deliverables including: molecular tools for identification and quantification of pathogens, sources of resistance to important seedling pathogens, environmental factors contributing to greater disease loss, knowledge of how multiple pathogens interact with one another, and how various aspects of production strategies influence seedling disease. As research improves our understanding of seedling blight pathogens and the diseases they cause, the recommendations to farmers on disease management should also improve. Proposed methods – • Investigate the environmental and ecological parameters of the seedling diseases. • Use metagenomics analysis to improve our understanding of seedling biology and the environmental conditions that favor disease. • Establish baseline inter- and intra-field variability for seedling pathogens. • Determine the impact of cover crops and other production strategies on causal agents of soybean seedling diseases. We will document the effect of cover crops on the activity of pathogens in several production regions. • Determine the impact of seedling pathogens on soybean seed quality. • Conduct an in-depth examination of the effects of soil type on seedling root rot caused by Fusarium and Rhizoctonia. • Determine if an interaction occurs between two Fusarium species and Rhizoctonia solani when infecting the same plant. • Evaluate diagnostic tools that will aid in diagnosing problem fields and aid other research endeavors by public and private researchers. • Leverage results of previous checkoff-funded studies to identify sources of seedling resistance to Fusarium oxysporum and F. solani. This project will address critical limitations in identifying and managing seedling diseases. Improved information on seedling disease management will help farmers manage diseases more effectively, improving the yield and quality of the U.S. soybean crop. Producers and industry will see benefits in the form of rapid diagnostics and management recommendations. This benefit will also help industry in their assessments in pesticide and germplasm development. Soybean producers will see benefits in the form of better management recommendations, provided in a variety of formats. The tools developed will benefit breeders in the development of genetically resistant varieties. These measures intend to reduce annual loss by 5-10%. Producers will also see their check-off funding being maximized by the synergy of this team with the NCSRP seedling disease project and state checkoff projects.