White Mold Remains Costly Threat to Soybean Growers

The aggressive disease can lead to significant yield losses without timely treatment.

WASHINGTON, D.C. (RFD News) — Crop specialists are warning soybean growers to keep white mold top of mind as the growing season progresses.

Ken Deibert with BASF says white mold cost farmers more than $280 million in yield losses in 2024 and can be devastating without timely management.

“It’s definitely a very aggressive disease. Certainly a disease we all want to keep our minds on in soybean growing areas, and certainly it tends to affect the soybean crop from canopy closure on. You know once you’ve had a history of white mold in that field, whether it’s from growing soybeans or crops like dry edible beans, canola, sunflowers, etc you know it usually persists as a problem in future years.”

Deibert says the management window for white mold is much smaller than many farmers realize, lasting just two to three weeks.

Related Stories
Corn demand received another boost last week as ethanol production climbed to a five-week high.
StoneX analyst Josh Linville says global supply risks and continued dependence on imported urea are keeping fertilizer markets on edge.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune says senators are trying to align the E15 effort with broader Farm Bill negotiations as producers continue grappling with weak farm income and elevated costs.
Soybeans accounted for nearly half of the $15 billion in losses on U.S. ag exports to China due to tariffs, according to researchers at North Dakota State University.
Feed grain supplies may tighten in 2026/27, supporting higher corn and sorghum prices despite large crops.
USDA says weather damage in key Robusta-growing regions is tightening supplies and lowering export expectations.

Knoxville native Neal Burnette-Irwin is a graduate from MTSU where he majored in Journalism and Entertainment Studies. He works as a digital content producer with RFD News and is represented by multiple talent agencies in Nashville and Chicago.


LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Dr. Jeffrey Gold says health officials continue monitoring outbreaks in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
RFD News Farm Legal Expert Roger McEowen discussed red flags landowners should watch for during property transactions.
ASFMRA’s Howard Halderman says several economic and policy issues are continuing to influence the farmland market.
USMCA review nears a critical stage as the U.S. and Mexico advance talks while Canada risks being left behind, raising concerns across North American agriculture trade.
Industry leaders say damage tied to the Strait of Hormuz conflict may continue impacting global fertilizer supplies long after shipping resumes.
Washington growers say this year’s cherry crop may be smaller than last season but still strong enough to support promotions.
Agriculture Shows
Hosted by Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady and RFD News Markets Specialist Tony St. James, Commodity Talk delivers expert insight into the day’s ag commodity markets just before the CME opens. Only on RFD-TV and Rural Radio SiriusXM Channel 147.
A look at the news, weather and commodities headlines that drove agriculture markets in the past week.
Everything profits from prairie. Soil, air, water — and all kinds of life! Learn how you can improve your land with prairie restoration, cover crops and prairie strips, while growing your bottom line.
From soil to harvest. Top Crop is an all-new series about four of the best farmers in the world—Dan Luepkes, of Oregan, Illinois; Cory Atley, of Cedarville, Ohio; Shelby Fite, of Jackson Center, Ohio; Russell Hedrick, of Hickory, North Carolina—reveals what it takes for them to make a profitable crop. It all starts with good soil, patience, and a strong planter setup.