News

Red crown rot confirmed in Iowa

An Iowa State University Extension agronomist says the state’s first case of red crown rot infection has been confirmed.

Rebecca Vittetoe says the soybean disease was identified in a Des Moines County field in late August.

“If we look towards the base of the plant, if it’s red crown rot, we’re gonna see more of a red discoloration at the base of that soybean plant, whereas we won’t see that red discoloration with sudden death syndrome,” she says.

She tells Brownfield red crown rot continues to be discovered in soybean fields across the Midwest and has been known to cause yield losses of 40 to 60%.

“Our neighboring states have seen red crown rot the last couple of years, so I’m guessing that that’s not the only field with it.”  She says, “We’re encouraging people to go out and look.”

Vittetoe says seed treatments and crop rotations are the recommended management strategies for the disease.

The Iowa Soybean Association is offering free testing of suspected red crown rot samples.  Learn more HERE.

AUDIO: Rebecca Vittetoe – Iowa State University Extension