For a disease to develop, have significant effect on yield, and become a significant PEST there are four major factors that have to align:
- Pathogen presence – influenced by field history
- Environment – the right conditions for disease to develop
- Susceptible host – a variety that is susceptible to disease
- Time – regarding the growth stage of the plant and when the disease develops
Continuous soybean production and no-till cultivation can increase disease risk in soybean and most soybean diseases can develop in the warm, humid environment that occurs in the Midsouth soybean production area. Symptoms of most foliar diseases in soybean will develop during reproductive growth stages, which is a critical time to scout for diseases. Correctly identifying diseases is necessary to choose the best management options to reduce yield loss and prevent future disease epidemics. Below are short descriptions of some diseases that can occur regularly in the Midsouth.