Performance of Lumisena™ fungicide seed treatment for the control of Phytophthora sojae in soybean.

Abstract

Soybean (Glycine max) production is becoming increasingly popular in Western Canada, and growers and extension personnel need to understand the disease threats and the control options to grow a healthy industry. Phytophthora root rot, caused by the pathogen Phytophthora sojae, is a disease of significant concern in the current major soybean growing regions of North America, including production areas in Western Canada. Phytophthora reduces plant stand, in some instances severe enough to require a replant, and has been shown to decrease yield by more than 50%. Corteva AgriscienceTM, Agriculture Division of DowDuPontTM, conducted multiple lab and field trials between 2011 and 2015 using a novel fungicide, oxathiapiprolin, applied as a seed treatment (trade name LumisenaTM Fungicide Seed Treatment), to evaluate control of phytophthora root rot in soybean. Lumisena at 12 µg a.i./seed improved plant stand by 38% compared to the untreated check. Under heavy disease pressure, Lumisena at 12 µg a.i./seed yielded up to 50% more than the check and conferred an average yield gain of 3.1 bu/ac in 8 Canadian strip trials. In summary, Lumisena at a rate of 12 µg a.i./seed will provide soybean growers in Western Canada with effective control of Phytophthora root rot.