Soils contain incredibly diverse ecosystems of microbes. Many are beneficial to your soybean plants, assisting with essential functions like nitrogen fixation. Other microbes, however, cause disease like the fungus Fusarium virguliforme, which causes sudden death syndrome in soybeans. According to X.B. Yang, Ph.D., professor at the Department of Plant Pathology at Iowa State University, “SDS and white mold are two of the most important fungal diseases in soybean production, affecting 40 to 50 million acres in the north-central region. Yield losses can be as high as 50% in fields having severe infestation.”
This fungus is difficult to combat as its spores can persist in the soil for up to five years in cool, wet conditions. If you’ve encountered SDS in your soybean crop, you know it’s challenging to detect when the seed has germinated or is in a mid-growth stage.
You might be wondering, why Heads Up® Plant Protectants? According to marketing manager Jared Cottenie, “We’re the only company that covers both sudden death syndrome and white mold with one product.” Also, they’re a farmer-founded, family-run operation with years of reliable third-party data to support their products. So, before your next planting season, explore the benefits of incorporating the first Environmental Protection Agency registered seed treatment (for white mold and SDS) into your SDS management plan.
4 reasons to use Heads Up® in your SDS management plan
1. Heads Up® Plant Protectants’ seed treatment works for SDS and white mold
Heads Up® is a biological seed treatment derived from quinoa hulls. It contains no living organisms. It’s like an inoculant, providing systemic acquired resistance by triggering the plant’s immune response to boost defenses. Simply mix with water and apply to seeds prior to the planting season, which will jumpstart season-long protection from SDS. You can use Heads Up® by itself or with products with different modes of action, like fungicides. It’s also OMRI certified for organic production.
2. Heads Up® protects and treats soybean plants
All plants have immune systems, and seed companies select for traits that provide resistance to various diseases. When a plant detects an infection, it produces salicylic acid to stop it. If this happens at the time of infection, the plant’s defenses will slow the spread, however, environmental factors and how susceptible your plants are based on their genetics will determine yield loss.
Heads Up® starts this defensive process upon germination by inducing the plant’s signaling mechanism that responds to disease so that the plants are ready to combat pathogens before infection ever occurs. Cottenie encourages farmers to start with high-quality seeds. “Heads Up® boosts seeds to their highest level of genetic potential. Cheaper seeds don’t get as great results,” he says.
3. Heads Up® is cost-effective
Using Heads Up® in combination with fungicides can reduce the number of fungicide applications you need in a season. And at less than $4 per acre, the savings add up. One package treats up to 400 units, or 20,000 pounds, of soybeans.
4. Improved yield and productivity
At the end of the season, the numbers speak for themselves. According to the latest data acquired by multiple third-party testing sites across Wisconsin, Iowa and Minnesota, crops treated with Heads Up® provided an average of 3.45 bu/ac more than untreated crops. Cottenie shared feedback from farmers, who say, “Where they use the products they have less disease, and the plants look healthier. They also report having less disease in future plantings and an easier time cleaning their machines.”
A proactive approach to disease management
Unfortunately, there is no cure for sudden death syndrome and white mold. But with Heads Up®, you can provide your soybean crops with season-long protection against both diseases from the start. Incorporating Heads Up® into your SDS management plan can save you money and increase your yields with healthier, better protected plants.
