Cover crop and crop rotation effects on tissue and soil population dynamics of Macrophomina phaseolina and yield under no-till system.

Authors: Mengistu, Alemu; Read, Quentin; KELLY, HEATHER - University Of Tennessee; Bellaloui, Nacer; Schumacher, Lesley

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/16/2023
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Soybean production is influenced by planting date but its impact on yield in fields infested with charcoal rot fungus and under varying environments is unknown. Our research detected that disease severity in May planting date was significantly lower compared to April and June in field infested with Macrophomina phaseolina. Correspondingly, yield in April planting date was significantly lower than that of May and June in both irrigated and non-irrigated environments. Soybean lines interacted with planting date differently, however, selected moderately resistant lines showed the greatest yields in early May to early June with increased yield in charcoal rot infested environments. Interestingly, yields of susceptible lines increased significantly with each subsequent planting date while yields for the moderately resistant remained higher than the susceptible across the three planting dates. Planting date by irrigation interaction revealed that only under an irrigated environment that May planting date had a significantly lower disease severity than April and June planting dates, while yield in May and June remained significantly higher than April planting date under both irrigated and non-irrigated environments. Our results could fill the knowledge gaps in the current soybean production system that need to be incorporated into the future farming practice that will ultimately benefit midsouth soybean growers.