Biology and Management of Soybean Stem Diseases

Soybean stem diseases, such as sudden death syndrome, white mold, and stem canker can severely limit yield in the U.S. A tightly linked project involving pathologists and breeders is needed to mitigate losses from these diseases to soybean farmers and industry. The proposed research will advance knowledge of the biology of pathogens that cause stem diseases, improve prediction of these diseases, and develop industry usable germplasm that will deliver soybean varieties with improved resistance. The improved disease management will increase soybean yield, which will result in increased income for U.S. soybean farmers. We will use a combination of laboratory and field research to address our proposed tasks. In Task 1, we will increase availability of genetic resistance to stem diseases including white mold, SDS and stem canker by conducting infection studies in early stages of seedling development to improve screening assays and screening of elite PIs or breeding lines against multiple strains of the respective stem disease pathogens. In Task 2, we will characterize the diversity of soybean pathogens causing stem disease across large geographic areas. For Task 3, we will improve our ability to predict stem disease development by validating and improving the accuracy of disease prediction models, including those for white mold and SDS. Task 4 we conduct field trials to examine the impact of cultivar resistance, cultural practices and fungicides on development of each disease. In Task 5, we will develop outreach materials to improve stakeholder awareness of stem disease pathogens and best management practices for diseases. Results will be made available through multiple channels, including the Crop Protection Network (CPN), USB’s communication team, the Soybean Research and Information Network, and local/regional media groups.