Scouting to identify what is really present rather than just what we think

By Dusty Sonnenberg, CCA, Field Leader, a project of the Ohio Soybean Council and Soybean Check-off

Sometimes in the heat of the summer, field scouting can take on a “hurry up and get it done” approach, due to the heat and humidity when walking fields. It is easy to see plants that show symptoms of a familiar disease pathogen or other related stress and walk quickly past, simply making a mental note of what was observed. While this approach will get one across the field faster and back into an air-conditioned pick-up truck, it may be a disservice to both the crop and the larger industry.

Many plant diseases have very classic symptoms which can be used to easily identify what is going on. Some pathogens, however, have symptoms which may mimic other plant diseases and require a more thorough inspection and possibly sending a sample into a lab to get the correct identification.… Continue reading