This project has a direct benefit to soybean farmers in the North Central region by providing updated information on fungicide use in soybeans, and helping to understand when and where fungicides might be helpful for reducing yield loss due to charcoal rot.
Relevant findings from year one include:
• No foliar fungicide significantly reduced fungal presence or increased yield at any application timing.
• These results indicate that foliar fungicides to mitigate plant stress and charcoal rot development would not be economically beneficial.
• This information is currently being summarized for Extension deliverables, such as press releases and newsletter articles.
By the end of year two, we will be able to:
• Determine what pre-emergence fungicides reduce charcoal rot development and improve yield.
• Improve understanding of how, when, and where, to recommend fungicides to help farmers maximize yields and profitability.
• Improve Extension resources available on charcoal rot. The results from these research projects will be summarized and integrated into existing resources, such as the Diseases of Soybean: Charcoal Rot Extension bulletin, and videos housed on the Soybean Research & Information Initiative website.
• Generate a research publication for an appropriate journal.