Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Annual report attached as .pdf. Minutes here:

Minutes of the NCERA 137 – Soybean Diseases Technical Committee Meeting

March 5, 2019 

Administrative Advisor:  Dr. Marty Draper, Kansas State University 

Chair:  Dr. Travis Faske, University of Arkansas 

Secretary:  Dr. Carl Bradley, University of Kentucky 

Immediate Past Chair:  Dr. Daren Mueller, Iowa State University 

Members and guests in attendance (37 total):

Tom Allen (Mississippi State University), Danise Beadle (retired),Gary Bergstrom (Cornell University), Kaitlyn Bissonnette (University of Missouri), Patricia Bollich (LSU AgCenter), Carl Bradley (University of Kentucky), Guohong Cai (USDA-ARS, Purdue University), Xianming Chen (USDA-ARS), Anne Dorrance (The Ohio State University), Marty Draper (Kansas State University), Travis Faske (University of Arkansas), Loren Giesler (University of Nebraska), Rachel Guyer (University of Tennessee), Doug Jardine (Kansas State University), Yuba Kandel (Iowa State University), Heather Kelly (University of Tennessee), Nathan Kleczewski (University of Illinois), Alyssa Koehler (University of Delaware), Leonor Leandro (Iowa State University), Chris Little (Kansas State University), Dean Malvick (University of Minnesota), Kelsey Mehl (University of Kentucky), Daren Mueller (Iowa State University), Danilo Neves (University of Kentucky), Boyd Padgett (LSU AgCenter), Trey Price (LSU AgCenter), John Rupe (University of Arkansas), Alejandro Rojas (University of Arkansas), Samantha Segalin (University of Arkansas), Ed Sikora (Auburn University), Darcy Telenko (Purdue University), Albert Tenuta (Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs), Sara Thomas-Sharma (LSU AgCenter), Brian Ward (LSU AgCenter), Kelly Whiting (United Soybean Board), Tessie Wilkerson (Mississippi State University), and Kiersten Wise (University of Kentucky). 

The meeting of the NCERA 137 Soybean Disease Committee was held in Pensacola Beach, Florida at the Hilton Hotel on March 5, 2019.  The meeting began at 8:30 AM with Dr. Travis Faske welcoming attendees, followed by brief introductions of everyone in attendance.

Dr. Marty Draper provided an administrative update, which included an explanation of multi-state projects and a USDA-NIFA budget update.  Dr. Draper mentioned that the NCERA 137’s renewal/review was last year, and that the renewal was well-received.  Dr. Draper encouraged the group to seek research opportunities that could be conducted through the NCERA 137 committee.  

Brief state reports were provided by representatives of each state in attendance.  State reports were provided by Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, and Tennessee.  In addition, a report for Ontario, Canada was provided by Albert Tenuta.  These reports provided information about soybean production for the state in 2018 as well as important diseases that affected soybean yields in each state.  A common theme of soybean seed quality issues with seedborne fungal pathogens (Cercospora and Diaporthe spp.) was observed throughout several states.  New and emerging/re-emerging diseases reported included southern stem canker, taproot decline, target spot, fungicide-resistant strains of the pathogens that cause frogeye leaf spot and brown spot (Cercospora sojina and Septoria glycines, respectively). In addition, many “typical” diseases/pathogens also were observed, which included brown stem rot, Cercospora leaf blight, Phytophthora root rot, root-knot nematode, Sclerotinia stem rot, soybean cyst nematode, and sudden death syndrome.

Individual presentations were provided by some attendees:

Trey Price gave a presentation on “Varietal differences in seed quality”.  Samantha Segalin gave a presentation on , “Usefulness of fungicides to reduce seed infection”.  Tom Allen gave a presentation on “Discussion of seed quality”.  Yuba Kandel gave a presentation on “SDS multi-state project update”.  Mohsin Raza gave a presentation on “Modeling and quantification of soybean yield loss to SDS”.  Teddy Garcia gave a presentation on “Update on taproot decline”.  Anne Dorrance gave a presentation on “Update on multi-state Phytophthora project”.  Tom Allen gave a presentation on “Challenges with southern blight”.  Kaitlyn Bissonnette gave a presentation on “Usefulness of seed treatments to manage SCN”.  Travis Faske gave a presentation on “Do seed treatments work for root-knot nematode?”.  Trey Price gave a presentation on “Progress in selecting Cercospora leaf blight resistant germplasm”.

Kelly Whiting provided an update on the United Soybean Board.  Kelly praised the group for working together on several research projects.  He mentioned that the request for proposals from the USB should be available soon, within a few weeks after the meeting. 

Kiersten Wise provided an update and information on the Crop Protection Network (CPN).  She encouraged NCERA 137 members to work together on potential new publications and outlined the steps required to put together new CPN publications.

Business Meeting

Minutes were sent out early, and there were no objections.  Minutes were approved.

Darcy Telenko volunteered to be the next Secretary, and nominations were closed.  Darcy Telenko was elected unanimously as the new Secretary.

Discussion on the next meeting location and date occurred.  The consensus appeared to be having the meeting in association with the Southern Soybean Disease Workers (SSDW) Meeting again in 2020 at the same location (Hilton Hotel, Pensacola Beach, FL).  Although the exact date was not chosen, it would likely be sometime during the week of March 2, 2020.  Dr. Bradley (chair) will follow up with the SSDW and NCERA 137 members later in the year about the 2020 meeting. 

Meeting was adjourned at 5:00 PM. 

Respectfully submitted, Carl Bradley