Skip to main content

Diseases & Disorders

All Diseases & Disorders Content

wheat field

Tan Spot of Wheat

Tan spot is a devastating disease of wheat in South Dakota and the rest of the wheat producing regions world over. It causes an estimated yield loss of about 5 percent in South Dakota but this loss can go up to 30 percent in individual fields.

fruit and vegetable garden with raised beds

Growing Sweet Corn in South Dakota

Sweet corn is a delicious vegetable enjoyed by both kids and adults. It is popular in the mid-to-late summer and is often bought at stands on street corners and grocery stores throughout small towns in South Dakota. What many people don’t know, however, is that sweet corn is a remarkably easy vegetable to grow yourself. All you need are a few essential materials and some basic knowledge to grow your own delicious sweet corn.

A patch of soybeans with several plants exhibiting browning and yellowing leaves.

Plant Disease Management Decisions to Make Before Planting

For most plant diseases, in-season management choices are very limited. In fact, there are no in-season management options available for diseases caused by nematodes, viruses, and bacteria.

green leafy plants

Soybean Vein Necrosis Virus Detected in South Dakota Soybeans

A new soybean virus called Soybean vein necrosis virus (SVNV) was detected in South Dakota soybean fields in Davison and Union counties. Symptomatic plants were sporadic and found along the field borders. Infected plants showed mild to moderate severity.

green soybeans with white mold

White Mold Development: Is your soybean field at risk?

According to USDA-NASS crop progress report for the week of July 17, 49% of the soybeans in South Dakota are at flowering. The flowering growth stage is also the time when white mold infection is initiated. The white mold pathogen infects the soybeans through the flowers that are senescing after pollination.

Wheat heads with extreme white-yellow bleaching.

Wheat Stem Maggots Observed in S.D. Wheat

While scouting wheat fields throughout South Dakota, we have started noticing the presence of bleached heads scattered throughout many different fields. These discolored heads are the result of an infestation of the wheat stem maggot.

Barley yellow dwarf developing in winter wheat.

Barley yellow dwarf is starting to develop in winter wheat. Barley yellow dwarf is caused by the Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV). This disease usually becomes more distinct at flag leaf emergence. A typical symptom of Barley yellow dwarf is the purplish-yellow color of infected leaves, especially the flag leaf.

A field of emerging winter wheat in early spring.

Winter Wheat Breaking Dormancy Early

A threshold indicator for winter wheat emergence is to consider average temperatures over a 14-day period. When that 14-day average temperature is equal to or above 5°C, or 41°F, then hard red winter wheat can break dormancy.

soybean field with white mold

Late-Season Soybean Diseases: Know what’s killing your soybeans

Late-season soybean diseases can sometimes be mistaken for natural senescence. A closer look at the stems and roots of dying plants and the pattern displayed by dead plants in the field may reveal root or stem rots going on. In order to devise effective management practices for future soybean seasons, it is important to determine the cause of early soybean plants death.

yellowed wheat field

Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus Management: Plan ahead before planting this fall

Have you had a history of moderate wheat streak mosaic disease in your field? Do you plan on planting wheat into wheat stubble or wheat fallow? Have your neighbors had wheat streak mosaic disease outbreaks in the recent past? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you need to incorporate wheat streak mosaic control principles into your management plan before planting winter wheat this fall.