The Indiana Certified Crop Adviser panel includes Gene Flaningam, Flaningam Ag Consulting, Vincennes; Carl Joern, Pioneer, Lafayette; and Greg Kneubuhler, G&K Concepts, Fort Wayne.

 

My soybean stand is looking great this year, but I’m worried because I know that red crown rot was confirmed in my county last year. Is there anything I can do to prevent this disease? What should I do if I find it? 

 

Flaningam: Red crown rot needs to be managed in a preventive manner. Focus on things such as field drainage; seed variety disease tolerance; adding fungicides to seed treatments; managing soybean cyst nematode; and avoiding planting into wet soil. There are no curative programs to cure the infestation of red crown rot in soybean production. 

 

Joern: Red crown rot is a disease I’d prefer you keep in your county and ideally out of your fields altogether. Just because it was confirmed nearby doesn’t mean it will be your most yield‑limiting factor this year. But since there are no rescue treatments once you find it, it’s worth taking preventive steps based on what we know today.

 

The biggest lever you have is variety selection. In recent University of Kentucky research, red crown rot‑tolerant varieties consistently showed much lower disease severity than susceptible ones, even before adding any seed treatment. That’s your foundation. 

 

From there, the right seed treatment can make a measurable difference. Treatments such as ILEVO reduced disease severity across both moderate‑ and high‑pressure environments, and combinations such as ILEVO and Proline in‑furrow delivered some of the biggest reductions where disease pressure was high. Outside the scope of this study, Victrato is showing very compelling early results, and it’s something to keep an eye on as more data comes in.

 

If you do find red crown rot in a field this season, the best move is to mark those areas and let that guide variety and treatment decisions next year. To confirm the disease, look for the red perithecia on the crown and roots since the foliar symptoms alone can look a lot like sudden death syndrome. 

 

Kneubuhler: Red crown rot is a soilborne disease, so there’s unfortunately no effective in-season treatment once soybeans are infected. The best thing you can do this year is scout fields carefully, especially from mid- to late season, looking for yellowing plants and the telltale reddish-orange structures at the base of the stem. 

 

If you find it, flag and map affected areas. You’re gathering valuable information for future decisions rather than trying to fix it this season. Foliar fungicides and most seed treatments won’t provide meaningful control.

 

Long-term management is where you can make a real impact. Focus on planting more tolerant varieties, rotating out of soybeans and improving soil conditions such as drainage and compaction to reduce plant stress. Also keep an eye on soybean cyst nematode, as it may worsen disease severity. In short, this is a disease you manage proactively over time — not reactively during the season.