CROP SCENE INVESTIGATION – 6 SOLVED: Fusarium wilt was behind Blake’s dying soybeans

by DEAN SHANTZ

Fusarium wilt (also called soybean blight) was the culprit causing patches of dying soybean plants throughout Blake’s field.

The disease is caused by a common soil-borne fungus and is predominant when soybeans are under drought stress and root development is inhibited. Both factors can interfere with the normal activity of the plant’s root system and make it vulnerable to root diseases. Two key stressors were present in Blake’s field – soil compaction and lack of moisture.