Charcoal rot
scouted Sept. 10, 2024
- Scientific Name
- Macrophomina phaseolina
- Background
- Soybeans in Caswell County were scouted and it was observed that about 15% of the field was affected by defoliation and dieback. Patches of the field showed blackened and yellowing leaf spots. The field was dry. The affected areas appeared to be randomly distributed. Samples were collected from the field edge, semi-affected areas, and the middle of the impacted zone.
- Conclusion
- The issue was identified as charcoal rot of soybean, caused by Macrophomina phaseolina. It starts out with patches of stunted or wilted plants, and while the infection can happen very early in the season, the symptoms usually appear after flowering or when plants become stressed. It usually does not represent a major threat to production in the state. Crop rotation to non-host crops may help limit survival of the fungus in soils, and drought stress mitigation, when needed, may limit the severity of disease symptoms.
- Resources
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- No resources have been added.
