Management of Root Rot of Soybean in Alberta with Fungicide Seed Treatments and Genetic Resistance

Root rot, caused by Fusarium spp. is prevalent in soybean crops in Alberta, Canada. To mitigate the risk to soybean crops caused by Fusarium spp., nine seed-treatment fungicide formulations were assessed for their efficacy in promoting seedling survival, reducing root rot symptoms and maintaining yield. Twelve soybean varieties were also assessed for resistance to seedling blight and tolerance to Fusarium root rot. All treatments except Vibrance + Apron XL improved emergence. All the fungicide formulations reduced root rot severity on Fusarium -inoculated soybean seedlings under field conditions and all treatments except Vibrance + Apron XL reduced root rot under greenhouse conditions. Among the varieties, ‘90M01’ showed lower reductions in emergence than all others except ‘900Y61’ and ‘900Y81’ under field conditions and emergence losses for ‘900Y71’ were greater than all other varieties. ‘LS003RR’ had a lower disease severity rating compared with ‘TH32004R2Y’, ‘27005RR’ and ‘900Y71’. ...