Damping off is the rotting and death of seeds and seedlings and the symptoms can show in soybean plants prior to or just after emergence. Pathogens that can cause damping off, such as Pythium, Fusarium, Phytophthora, and Rhizoctonia are generally favored by wet soils following planting and for most of the country we certainly have had just that this year.
Pests like seed corn maggot, wireworms and white grub as well as diseases like Pythium and Phytophthora can reduce soybean stands early in the season. Cover crops or heavy crop residue keep soils cooler and can delay emergence, which can increase the vulnerability of seeds and seedlings to pests. LumiGEN® seed treatments provide advanced protection against pests, disease and uncertain soil conditions during the critical early growth period.
Corn fields can contain numerous pathogens in the soil that are capable of infecting corn seeds and seedlings. Corn planted into a well-prepared seedbed with warm conditions that allow it to emerge quickly, can generally outgrow the effects of pathogen attack. However, corn planted into cold, wet soils that emerges more slowly can be susceptible to injury from soilborne pathogens. Soilborne pathogens may attack seeds and seedlings both before and after plant emergence, as well as the roots and mesocotyl of emerging or established plants.
During the spring planting season, farmers need to watch for several diseases that can affect corn and soybean seedlings. Below we will explore some of the most common emergence diseases.
Well, it happened again: we had a week of warm weather and planting started, then cool spring rains and colder temperatures hit again, dropping our soil temperatures back to 41 degrees. So, what do we need to look at with seed in the ground below the temperature needed to emerge?
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