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Expect the unexpected when managing white mold

Soybean farmers managing white mold should expect the unexpected.

Craig LaVoi, an account manager with Peterson Farms Seed, calls the plant disease very unpredictable.

“I’ve seen very early infections, and I’ve also seen some very late infections when you think you’re out of the blue and still have some flowers up towards the top of the plant.  I’ve seen some late infections into that mid-August time frame.”

He tells Brownfield there was a high level of white mold infection across his territory in west-central Minnesota a year ago.

“I think it caught a lot of guys off guard (because) they never really had a big issue (like) pockets of it, but it was much more widespread on a field basis versus just those low-land spots and pockets in the field.”

LaVoi says white mold seems to thrive under moist conditions with below-average temperatures.