Seed treatments for the management of sudden death syndrome (SDS) caused by Fusarium virguliforme are available in the United States and Canada; however, side-by-side comparisons of these seed treatments are lacking. Sixteen field experiments were established in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, and Wisconsin, United States, and Ontario, Canada, in 2019 and 2020 to evaluate seed treatment combinations. Treatments included a nontreated check (NTC), fungicide and insecticide base seed treatments (base), fluopyram, base + fluopyram, base + saponin extracts from Chenopodium quinoa, base + fluopyram + heat-killed Burkholderia rinojenses, base + pydiflumetofen, base + thiabendazole + heat-killed B. rinojenses, and base + thiabendazole + C. quinoa extracts + heat-killed B. rinojenses. Treatments were tested on SDS moderately resistant and susceptible soybean cultivars at each location. Overall, NTC and base had the most root rot, most foliar disease index (FDX), and lowest yield. Base + fluopyram and base + pydiflumetofen were most effective for managing SDS. Moderately resistant cultivars reduced FDX in both years but visual root rot was greater on the moderately resistant than the susceptible cultivars in 2020. Yield response to cultivar was also inconsistent between the 2 years. In 2020, the susceptible cultivar provided significantly more yield than the moderately resistant cultivar. Treatment effect for root rot and FDX was similar in field and greenhouse evaluations. These results reinforce the need to include root rot evaluations in addition to foliar disease evaluations in the breeding process for resistance to F. virguliforme and highlights the importance of an integrated SDS management plan because not a single management tactic alone provides adequate control of the disease.
Keywords: Fusarium virguliforme; SDS; disease management; field crops; fluopyram; fungi; oilseeds and legumes; pydiflumetofen; resistant cultivar; seed treatment.