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Battle for the Belt: Episode 16

Episode 16 of Battle for the Belt is now available: 

In Episode 16, we talk to Jenna Moore, a Ph.D. student working with Dr. Horacio Lopez-Nicora in the Soybean Pathology and Nematology Lab at Ohio State. Her research focuses on the impact of planting dates on soybean and corn seedling diseases.

The Battle for the Belt project structure provides a great opportunity to better understand how environmental conditions (e.g., rainfall, soil temperature, etc.) at different planting dates and soilborne pathogen diversity impact soybean and corn seedlings. Jenna Moore explains several methods used to isolate pathogens from seedlings and surrounding soil at the VE stage (emergence) for both crops. Soil baiting is a method used to isolate water molds (i.e., oomycetes), which includes common pathogens like Pythium and Phytophthora. A second method, seedling surface sterilization, and plating is used to isolate fungi (e.g., Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, etc.) and oomycetes from within seedlings. Isolates are then transferred to new plates to achieve pure culture for further molecular characterization to the species level.

Jenna and the lab have partnered with our team to conduct seedling assessments across different planting dates and the different sites for corn and soybean. Later, the relationship between the identified pathogens and the environmental conditions at each planting date will be evaluated. Preliminarily, we are seeing many Fusarium isolates collected from within seedlings at early planting dates. Molecular identification will provide confirmation in the coming months, and we are looking forward to sharing results towards the end of the summer.

Battle For the Belt Location Updates

Figure 2. Planting date one (April 12) at the Northwest Research Station on June 22, 2023.

We have officially finished planting! The final date was planted at the Wooster site on June 21st (Figure 1). The conditions were favorable since this was after a week of much-needed rain. Though we are facing cooler than normal, temperatures are still optimal, and the plants are advancing in the stage. The last planting date at Northwest and Western for corn and soybeans are V1 and VC stages now.

Planting date one (April 12) in soybeans has achieved flowering in some plots at the Northwest location (Figure 2), many early April planted soybeans will be reaching R1 in the next week or so. The R1 stage is an ideal time to be scouting for disease pressure. Though the state has seen a dry spell, the incoming storms have the potential to create an environment for diseases to develop and grow. For example, cool and wet weather is the right environment for frogeye leaf spot to grow as well as white mold. Something to note is that Northwestern Ohio has had white mold in the last couple of years.

Planting dates two, three, and four in soybeans at the Northwest research station are V5, V4, and V2/V1. The corn is progressing well with planting date one at V8, planting date two at V7, planting date three at V6, and planting date four at V4.

At the Western research station for corn, planting dates one, two, three, and four are at V8, V7, V6, and V5, and for the soybeans, V5, V4, V3, and V1. The corn roots have not fully recovered from the floppy corn syndrome in planting dates one and two at this location. This condition was not seen at the other locations.

At the Wooster site, planting dates one, two, three, and four were V4,

V3, V2, and VC in soybeans. The corn stages are as follows for planting

dates one, two, three, and four: V7, V6, V5, and V3.

Table 1. The planting date environment for planting date five at all three locations.

Location

Planting date

2-inch soil temperature (at planting)

Air Temperature (at planting)

Wooster,

Wayne

June 21

70°F

71°F

Western,

Clark County

June 8 

69°F

63°F

Northwest,
Wood County

 June 8

64°F

63°F

Table 2. The planting date one, two, three, and four in the trial at all three locations with the day of planting, soil, air temperature averages, and Growing Degree Days (GDDS). Information from CFAES Weather System, https://weather.cfaes.osu.edu/

Location

2-inch soil temperature
(June 19-June 25)

Air Temperature

(June 19-June 25)

Planting date

GDDs

(Cumulative)

Precipitation

(Inches)

Wooster,

Wayne County

Max: 74°F

Mean: 71°F

Minimum: 67°F

Max: 84°F

Mean: 69°F

Minimum: 58°F

April 14th

   April 27th

    May 11th

May 30th

708

645

592

398

 

0.17”

Western,

Clark County

Max: 78°F

Mean: 70°F
Minimum: 66°F

Max: 89°F

Mean: 70°F

Minimum: 60°F

April 13th

April 27th

May 11th

May 25th

923

837

753

559

 

0.17”

Northwest,
Wood County

Max: 71°F

Mean: 70°F
Minimum: 65
°F

Max: 88°F

Mean: 72°F
Minimum: 59
°F

April 12th

April 26th

May 11th

May 25th

889

795

728

559

 

0.82”

As a recap, this research project includes five planting date windows, 1) Ultra early = late March to early April; 2) Early = mid to late April; 3) Normal = early to mid-May; 4) Late = late May-first week of June; and 5) Very late = mid to late June. All locations have all five planting dates completed now. Stay tuned for results to learn what yielded best.

Keep following the ‘Battle for the Belt’ this growing season to learn more and get further updates! You can find the full video playlist of Battle for the Belt on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel.

Keep following the ‘Battle for the Belt’ this growing season to learn more and get further updates! You can  find the full video playlist of Battle for the Belt on the Ohio State Agronomy YouTube channel.

Crop Observation and Recommendation Network

C.O.R.N. Newsletter is a summary of crop observations, related information, and appropriate recommendations for Ohio crop producers and industry. C.O.R.N. Newsletter is produced by the Ohio State University Extension Agronomy Team, state specialists at The Ohio State University and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC). C.O.R.N. Newsletter questions are directed to Extension and OARDC state specialists and associates at Ohio State.