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
Widespread drought and extreme weather leave producers managing limited resources
Rising fertilizer costs tied to tariffs are tightening margins for U.S. wheat growers, according to new data from the National Association of Wheat Growers.
Rising costs are significantly extending walnut profitability timelines.
Nearly 50,000 cattle impacted as producers search for feed and recovery options
Consistent sorghum quality supports strong export demand potential.
Corn and sorghum exports remain strong; soybean demand lags.

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:

National FFA Organization CEO Scott Stump has been inducted as an honorary member of Purdue’s Alpha Gamma Rho chapter, recognizing his leadership in agriculture.
Teams create meals from pantry items while incorporating a surprise ingredient
Seth Tucker of Tucker Farms, a first-generation Arkansas farmer, says rising input costs are forcing changes to his operation, including stepping away from rice this season.
Local groups distribute potatoes to support hundreds of families across the Idaho Panhandle to celebrate Volunteer Appreciation Month.
Healthcare leaders and advocates work to connect Georgia farmers with support resources to deal with increasing farm stress.
Organizers say the event helps bridge the gap between producers and consumers
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.