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Southern blight, also called Sclerotium blight or white mold, tends to be more common in the southern United States. The first symptom of the disease may be a yellowing or wilting of scattered plants in the field. Light-brown to brown lesions may be present on the lower stem close to the soil line. A mat of white mold growth may cover the lower stem and spread out from the stem on leaf debris and the soil. Eventually tan to brown sclerotia (small, hard fungal bodies) begin to form on the plant tissues and soil surface.
The sclerotia allow the pathogen to survive for extended periods of time in the soil. Southern blight is favored by hot, wet weather and high humidity in the canopy. Crop rotation with at least one year between soybean crops is the principle means of control. |
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