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
Farm CPA Paul Neiffer provided guidance on navigating the R&D tax credit, emphasizing record-keeping, eligibility, and maximizing potential savings as crop margins remain the key pressure point for farmers.
RFA and ACE leaders join us to discuss the latest developments in ethanol policy, market impacts, and the path forward
The plant is expected to officially close by April 7, 2026, marking the end of more than a century of food processing in the region.
Experts warn pests could reduce yields and raise costs for producers
Citrus production depends heavily on reliable irrigation, making water shortages a critical issue for South Texas growers moving forward.
RFD NEWS Correspondent Tammi Arender takes us to Produce Ridge, where we meet Louisiana farmer Charles Holley as he continues a family legacy over 100 years old, and teaches his grandchildren the value of working the land.

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:

Texas Farm Bureau intern Jazmine Gutierrez-Davila uses her background and bilingual skills to connect kids to agriculture while attending Rodeo Austin’s Livestock Show.
New partnership focuses on rebuilding habitat for quail across the south
Free program connects families to more than 100 farms with a new interactive app experience
Dry conditions remain a concern as Texas farmers prepare for another planting season.
The five-day auction drew up to 6,000 people and saw steady prices throughout the event
Longview FFA gives students practical experience from meat processing to floral design in their unique curriculum.
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.