2009 Crop Summary
North Carolina soybean producers harvested 34 bushels per acre in 2009, tying the record set in 2004. A record 60,180,000 bushels were harvested from 1.77 million acres. The outstanding production reflected near perfect growing conditions for much of the season, with excess moisture impacting only late season growth and, of course, the harvest. Leading soybean producing counties were Robeson (3.37 million bushels), Beaufort (2.47 million bushels), Union (2.2 million bushels) and Sampson (2.12 million bushels.)
The top contest yield in the state in 2009 was 83.2 bushels per acre, entered by Ricky Stallings of Perquimans County. Contest yields in the five major growing areas of the state were generally up over 2008 entries.
Soybean Rust Update -- Final Update October 28, 2009
Steve Koenning, Extension Soybean Pathology Specialist, North Carolina State University, and Jim Dunphy, Soybean Specialist, Crop Science.
Asiatic Soybean Rust was confirmed Oct. 27th on a sample from a sentinel plot in Columbus County, and from research plots at the experiment station in Kinston, North Carolina. Soybean rust has now been found in nine North Carolina counties – Bertie, Columbus, Johnston, Lenoir, Onslow, Robeson, Sampson, Washington and Wayne Cos. Samples from other sentinel plots were negative. Rust has now been confirmed on soybeans in AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, OK, MO, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, and VA.
It is considered likely that rust spores are present in many if not all of our North Carolina counties. The late arrival of rust means it is unlikely to impact much of the soybean crop. Rust has developed slowly over the past month because night temperatures were too low for new infections to occur even with favorable moisture. Much of our state’s soybeans are mature and safe from damage from rust and it is probably too late to apply fungicides to the remainder.
North Carolina soybean farmers should continue to check their soybeans that have not yet gotten full sized beans in the top of the plants, and to continue to monitor reliable reports of where else rust has been found. An up-to-date map of where rust has been found is at http://www.sbrusa.net. The current version of these NC updates should also be available at our Teletip line: 800/662-7301
Soybean Rust Summary for North Carolina – Reflections on 2005-2008
Soybean rust has been detected in North Carolina every year since 2005. Rust was found in 17, 44, and 6 counties in 2005, 2006, and 2007 respectively. In spite of a favorable fall environment, rust was only found in five counties in 2008. Fungicides were not necessary to control rust and most foliar diseases were minor in 2008. Only in 2006 was it recommended that fungicides be sprayed in the southeastern counties on late planted late maturity soybean. Yield increases in these areas were on the order of 4 to 5 bushels per acre.
Fungicides
The down side of fungicide application is the cost of the fungicide and application. The upside is protection from disease – preventing yield loss and protecting the crop.
Reasons to Apply Fungicides:
Presence of disease (Frogeye, Target Spot, Anthracnose).
High yield potential.
Premium for seed quality.
Consider how long it will take to get fungicide applied to needed acreage. Take into consideration that with wet conditions you may not be able to apply by ground! Also, consider that application at R5 with a strobilurin or Topsin M can protect seed quality if harvest is delayed.
Reasons not to Apply Fungicides:
1. Cost.
2. Soybean at or beyond growth stage R5.
3. Increased potential for development of a fungicide-resistant disease.
Resources for Soybean Rust in 2009
A soybean teletip message for North Carolina has been set up at 1-800-662-7301 (the same number as for the cotton insect update), with a message updated as necessary.
Soybean Rust Management in the Mid-Atlantic Region (old version and new) can be found at the SSDW web site http://cipm.ncsu.edu/ent/SSDW/, as well as the Soybean Disease Atlas. The Soybean Rust Management guide is paid for with USB funds. We will distribute 600 copies of the publication “USING FUNGICIDES TO MANAGE soybean rust” will be distributed to Agents, CCAs, and Dealers. A PDF version can be obtained at http://oardc.osu.edu/soyrust/. The Fungicide Manual actually contains more information than most growers are likely to need.
Some sources for more detailed information are listed below:
The USDA soybean rust web site
http://www.sbrusa.net/cgi-bin/sbr/public.cgi
The North Carolina Crop Protection Manual
http://ipm.ncsu.edu/agchem/6-9.pdf
Fungicide Manual
http://oardc.osu.edu/soyrust/
Another Host for Soybean Rust
A new host for soybean rust in the US is Coral Bean, grown in many areas especially along the East coast. Pictures of this plant can be found at
http://www.floridata.com/ref/E/erythrin.cfm. Coral bean is most likely to serve as an additional overwintering host for soybean rust in the gulf coast states, and its contributions to the epidemiology of soybean rust have not been assessed at this time.