“We’ve had tough conditions for harvest.” And the delayed maturity of crops has been “very challenging for growers,” said Kevin Carlson, Federated’s agronomy sales manager. Harvest is proving to be “a real mixed bag,” he said.

Federated’s corn plots are still being harvested, and “corn test weights are a little light and the corn is a little wet,” Carlson said. However, plots harvested thus far have had good yields with an average of 200 bu./ac. (and a high of 217 bu./ac.).

Federated’s soybean Discovery Plots produced test results and yields that were “all over the board,” according to Carlson, which can be attributed to an erratic growing season. More concerning, though, was the evidence of white mold in many grain samples.

“We can see the sclerotia [which look like mouse droppings] in the grain samples,” said Carlson. The combines can’t separate these out from the grain; some of the sclerotia make it through the combine but most fall onto the soil where they sit over the winter and await the right conditions to germinate into apothecia of the white mold fungus/pathogen.

The pressure from white mold has been building over the years, Carlson noted, and “if you aren’t managing [your crops] to control white mold, it will get worse as the disease triangle builds.”

What is the disease triangle? The environment (excess moisture and lower temps), a susceptible host (soybeans have no true resistance), and the presence of white mold. “Two years ago white mold was bad,” said Carlson. As soybeans were planted in the rotation this year, white mold reared its ugly head again.

Carlson noted that with white mold infestations being seen in about 40% of fields this year, management will be vital. Yield losses, he indicated, are in the 10-20% range.

White mold management is difficult and crops in medium to high productivity soils are often most devastated by the disease (though crops in sandy soils can also be affected). There are white mold management tools that span the spectrum of cost, and “all of the tools in the toolbox must be used,” said Carlson.

Watch winter for additional information on white mold management in winter editions of the Agronomy Update and at the winter soybean grower meetings.

Soybean and corn Discovery Plot results will be published as soon as they are available. Talk to your Federated Agronomist with any questions.