Each year farmers are provided with new fungicides or novel uses for existing products. The agrochemical industry promotes application of foliar fungicides to soybean to increase overall “plant health.” However, economic benefits of such applications are inconsistent and not well documented. Therefore, the goal of this proposal is to continue to refine foliar fungicide use by identifying best management practices that ensure profitable and sustainable soybean production.

Objective 1: Compare new fungicide products with industry standards for foliar disease management and yield protection.
Objective 2: Monitor for fungicide resistance in major soybean pathogens in Iowa.

• Increased understanding of fungicide application at growth stage R3 under different growing conditions through out Iowa.
• Information to assist farmers with identifying the most effective fungicides for foliar disease management.
• An established fungicide-resistance plan and ability to test for possible fungicide-resistance.
• Management strategies will be analyzed within each state, field, and subfield to develop recommendations for specific subfield characteristics.
• Recommendations for specific targeted management subfields will be developed from information gathered from field trials to improve best management practices for soybean fields.
• Pest incidence and severity measurements will be collected at the subfield level.

These findings are directly applicable to many soybean farmers and agribusinesses. This work would have beneficial immediate and long-term effects on farm productivity and input use. The knowledge gained from this research will benefit Iowa soybean farmers by enabling them to:
• Make more informed decisions regarding foliar disease management
• Increase understanding of fungicide application at growth stage R3 under different growing conditions.
• Further understand when and how fungicides will fit into an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy for disease management.