MerschMedia: News Affecting You

The recent, heavy rain events are likely to bring on Phytophthora root and stem rot symptoms (see images). In an effort to improve Phytophthora root and stem rot management, we are conducting a survey to identify races (pathotypes) of Phytophthora sojae. If you would like to submit a soil sample, please include: One gallon of soil sampled from at least 10 different parts of a field known to have a history of Phytophthora root and stem rot. GPS coordinates of the field so we can map…

Phytophthora root rot, caused by Phytophthora sojae, is a major disease of soybean in North Dakota, especially in the Red River Valley (RRV). Planting resistant cultivars is the primary management. The resistance genes Rps 1c, 1k, 3a, and 6 are the most common genes deployed in this region. To determine the efficacy of these genes and document the pathotype changes in the population of P. sojae over several decades, a survey of pathotypes was conducted in 2015 in three counties in the southern RRV and compared…

In October 2020, EPA approved five-year registrations (until 2025) for dicamba products including XtendiMax (Bayer), Engenia (BASF) and Tavium (Syngenta) for over-the-top use in Xtend and XtendFlex soybeans. These new dicamba product registrations included national cutoff dates (June 30 in most cases) and mandatory use of additional volatility reduction agents (VRAs) in the tank. Problem: ISU Extension field agronomists and commercial agronomists in several areas of the state have reported a high percentage of non-dicamba resistant soybean showing symptoms characteristic of dicamba,…

Cupped soybean fields are surfacing across the South and Midwest again this summer, and with them, a new crop of rumored causes. Once again, however, the simplest explanation for those puckered up soybeans remains off-target dicamba applications, agronomists and weed scientists told DTN. Tens of millions of acres of dicamba-tolerant soybeans are currently growing alongside non-dicamba-tolerant beans, and dicamba use in corn is on the rise in the fight against herbicide-tolerant weeds. Click here to read more.

Six weeds have been confirmed resistant to glyphosate in Nebraska due to repeated application of glyphosate in Roundup Ready® corn-soybean production systems. The increasing prevalence of herbicide-resistant weeds is compelling growers to diversify weed management practices. LibertyLink® technology in corn and soybean provides an opportunity to apply Liberty (active ingredient: glufosinate; site-of-action group 10) as a postemergence on top of the crop canopy. Click here to read more.

Delayed planting seasons create a lot of frustrations for everyone involved with planting crops. One of the agronomic questions that comes up when planting is seriously delayed is whether farmers should consider switching from their normal full-season maturity hybrids to shorter-maturity hybrids. The question is based, of course, on the perceived risk of the crop not reaching physiological maturity before a killing fall freeze and the yield losses that could result. A related, and economic, concern with delayed planting of normal…