Red Crown Rot Management Strategies

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

Red Crown Rot has not been found in Ohio, yet. The key word in that sentence is “yet”. Red Crown Rot has been found in the border states of both Kentucky and Indiana. It is important for farmers in Ohio to know what to look for when scouting for this disease and have a strategy to manage it once it is found. It has been said that “hope” is not a strategy. Simply hoping that it does not spread into Ohio, or infect your field is not an effective management plan. Understanding the disease and scouting for it and then making a correct identification are the first steps according to Dr. Carl Bradley, Plant Pathologist at the University of Kentucky.

Similar to insect infestations, pathogens are not always evenly distributed across a field. There can be hot spots or random areas with more intense infection.… Continue reading