Plant Health Initiative

Charcoal Rot - Agronomic impact

 

• Soybean field severely infected with charcoal rot. Click on image to view a larger version. Photo credit: Palle Pedersen

  Results from controlled studies showed that infection by Macrophomina phaseolina can reduce plant height, root volume, and root weight by more than 50%.
• Damage to the root system is most evident during the pod formation and filling stages, when demand for water and nutrient absorption is high.
• Seeds of infected plants tend to be fewer and lighter as a result of the smaller root system.
• Diseased plants will mature several weeks earlier, which further contributes to yield loss.
• Root infection by germinating microsclerotia can occur very early in soybean plant development. Wyllie (1976) reported that M. phaseolina could infect up to 100% of soybean plants within 3 or 4 weeks after planting.

Reference

Macrophomina phaseolina -- Charcoal Rot. Wyllie, T.D. in: L.D. Hill, ed. World Soybean Research. Proceedings of the World Soybean Research Conference. Interstate, Danville, Illinois. Pages 482-484