Diseases are one of the main yield-limiting factors of soybean production that farmers must contend with every year. In Kentucky, estimated annual losses due to diseases over the last 5 years have averaged over 7.2 million bushels of soybeans, which has an approximate annual value of nearly $68 million. To protect against yield losses caused by diseases, soybean farmers often actively manage these diseases by utilizing inputs such as fungicide and nematicide seed treatments and foliar fungicides. This research project seeks to evaluate the return on investment (ROI) of different soybean disease management practices in Kentucky by evaluating a combination of fungicide and nematicide seed treatments and foliar fungicides in field trials across different locations in Kentucky. This project fits the Kentucky Soybean Board’s research priority, “Reducing the cost of producing soybeans”. The results of our research will provide Kentucky soybean farmers with information that they can use to help determine which disease management practices are helping to increase ROI, and which disease management practices are not increasing ROI.

To determine which soybean disease management practices have the greatest return on investment (ROI) in Kentucky.

The deliverables include: an economic analysis of return on investment of disease management practices based on field research trials conducted in Kentucky and presentation of the results of the research to Kentucky farmers at winter meetings and field days.

Kentucky soybean farmers will be able to use the results of this research to help determine which disease management practices most consistently deliver a positive return on investment, and which disease management practices do not. Ultimately, this information will help Kentucky soybean farmers reduce the cost of producing soybeans and increase profitability on their own farm.