By Blake Jackson
Over the past few years, researchers have thoroughly tested and validated the Sporecaster app, a scouting tool designed to help predict the risk of white mold in soybeans.
This tool is now part of the Crop Protection Network's "Crop Disease Forecasting" section, and a short, easy-to-follow tutorial is available to guide users through its features.
With heavy rainfall since early May, growers have begun asking about white mold risk for the 2025 season. Due to delayed planting in many regions, the risk window for white mold will likely extend longer than usual, making prediction more difficult this year.
To support growers, weekly and biweekly updates will be issued throughout the 2025 season using data from multiple Pennsylvania locations. As in past years, a 50% risk threshold will be applied meaning a predicted risk above 50% may justify a fungicide application.
For details on how the risk model works, refer to Willbur et al. (2018), which outlines weather-based models for detecting Sclerotinia sclerotiorum in soybean fields.
The Crop Protection Network also provides a list of fungicides labeled for white mold, outlined in the publication “Fungicide Efficacy for Control of Soybean Foliar Diseases.”
Understanding soybean growth stages, especially from R1 to R3, is essential for proper timing of fungicide applications (“A Visual Guide to Soybean Growth Stages”).
Photo Credit: istock-urpspoteko
Categories: Pennsylvania, Crops, Soybeans