Get Close, Look at the Soybeans

A drive-by look or a quick walk-thru isn’t good enough to know if bugs and diseases are in action. You have to get down and dig in as you scout soybeans.
 
The plant above ground should be dark green, and if it’s a paler shade of green, “you’ll need to do more investigating to find the problem(s), said Craig Loen, Federated’s ag sales rep at the Osceola location. “Check for discoloration, lesions, crooked stems, etc.,” he added.
 
Then, dig a little deeper, to the roots, and “see how healthy they look,” he said. “Split the stem; it should be a light tannish white color. If the color is darker, a disease could be present, limiting plant nutrient uptake and growth.”
 
Several diseases can be of concern in soybeans, including:

• Pythium blight
• Phytophthora root and stem rot
• Rhizoctonia root rot
• Fusarium

While you are scouting, look for yield-robbing insects, too. “The dry weather is bringing on soybean aphids and spider mites,” he said, in addition to other insects that can affect crop health, too.  
 
Talk to your Federated Agronomist for more information and help identifying the diseases and bugs in your fields – and to learn about options for treating them.