| Pod and Stem Blight and Phomopsis Seed Decay (Diaporthe phaseolorum var. sojae) |
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Diaporthe phaseolorum var. sojae and the other Diaporthe and Phomopsis species that cause pod and stem blight and Phomopsis seed decay can survive in infested crop residues, in the soil and in seed. Pod and stem blight infected plants may be stunted and their stems discolored. Stem symptoms are linear rows of brown to black fruiting bodies on mature or damaged tissues, generally clustered near nodes and scattered on pods. Diseased seeds may be cracked and shriveled, and of lower quality for planting and processing.
Prolonged periods of warm, wet weather during flowering and pod fill favor the development of pod and stem blight. If wet weather continues through harvest, levels of Phomopsis seed decay may be high. Crop rotation and planting disease-free seed help manage pod and stem blight. In regions or years of potential high infection, use of foliar fungicides may be economically feasible. |
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