2018
Improving white mold management: epidemiology, fungicide timing and plant resistance
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Contributor/Checkoff:
Michigan Soybean Committee
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
Crop protectionDiseaseField management
Parent Project:
Improving white mold management: fungicide timing and plant resistance
Lead Principal Investigator:
Martin Chilvers, Michigan State University
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
18-04
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Michigan Soybean Committee
$21,000
Institution Funded:
Michigan State University
$21,000
Brief Project Summary:

This proposal will address four focus areas:
1. Study of white mold epidemiology for improved management:
a. Determine conditions necessary for white mold spore release and when plants become infected, to improve timing of foliar fungicides and management decisions, such as irrigation
b. Develop a disease forecasting model

2. Investigate the profitability of foliar fungicides
a. Evaluate foliar fungicide and biological products and application timing for improved white mold management
b. Evaluate profitability of foliar fungicides in the absence of disease

3. Screen soybean germplasm for white mold resistance
a. Screening of promising WM resistant germplasm from Dr. Craig...

Unique Keywords:
#soybean diseases
Information And Results
Project Deliverables

• Determination of risk factors for apothecia and subsequent white mold development
• Assistance with development of Sporecaster as a tool to aid in fungicide application decisions
• Foliar fungicide evaluation
• Germplasm and variety evaluation for resistance to white mold
• White mold education to farmers and CCAs

Final Project Results

Updated February 12, 2019:
MSPC funding and support was critical to research and publications that resulted in the development and release of the Sporecaster app for the prediction of Sclerotinia apothecia development. During 2018 we informed industry about this tool, and we hope that it will assist with the timing and application of fungicides for white mold management.
We have been actively participating in multistate IPM white mold management trials. Including, trials to examine the use of germplasm resistance, fungicide timing, row spacing and populations. Multistate trials also include studies to evaluate fungicide products for efficacy tables that we release annually.
An interesting example of our white mold research and extension impacts were discussions with Wilbur Ellis employees on the implementation on cobra and fungicide applications for white mold management. It was encouraging to hear that our data and extension efforts has aided industry in managing this difficult disease.
The Chilvers lab have also assisted Dr. Wang’s soybean breeding team in the design and implementation of plant resistance screening trials for the identification and development of resistant germplasm.

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.