General Information

Pod and stem blight is caused by the fungus Diaporthe sojae. While the fungus can infect all plant parts symptoms are most common on the stems. The fungus infects plants early in the season without producing distinctive symptoms, it is only late in the season on dead tissue small, black pycnidia are formed similar to anthracnose but with pod and stem blight pycnidia are arranged in rows. It is not clear what affect, if any, latent infections have on yield.

  • Fungicide application during reproductive growth stages can reduce disease severity. Fungicide Efficacy Table: mobile version or pdf
  • Cultural practices – rotating to non-host crop (e.g. corn) and burying crop residue can reduce pathogen population

Anthracnose-PodandStemAnthracnose on top stem, Pod and Stem Blight on bottom stem