Damon Smith, Extension Field Crops Plant Pathologist
I published a new Disease profile on my website. Sclerotinia stem rot (SSR), also known as white mold, is a serious and often lethal fungal disease of many different plants in the North Central U.S., especially soybean. SSR is difficult to control once the disease has manifested. Fungicide application after infection will not cure a symptomatic plant of the disease. Research has demonstrated that application of fungicide to control Sclerotinia stem rot is most successful at the R1 growth stage and less successful at the R3 growth stage. Overall the most economical and long-term approach is to use cultivars of soybeans bred for resistance to Sclerotinia stem rot.
To read the full article: http://fyi.uwex.edu/fieldcroppathology/
To download the full article as a PDF: http://fyi.uwex.edu/fieldcroppathology/files/2013/07/SSR.pdf
More information on Sclerotinia stem rot:
Sclerotinia Stem Rot Review: Biology, Yield Loss, and Control of Sclerotinia Stem Rot of Soybean
Management of White Mold in Soybeans Podcasts, by North Central Soybean Research Program