Sporecaster 1.41.3

Sporecaster serves as a valuable tool for farmers aiming to make informed management decisions regarding the control of white mold in soybean crops. The critical period for managing this disease occurs during the flowering stages (R1 and R2) when the growth of apothecia—small, mushroom-like structures—can be observed on the soil surface. These structures release spores that target senescent soybean flowers, initiating the development of white mold. Significant research conducted by universities has demonstrated that the emergence of apothecia can be predicted using multiple variables, including specific weather conditions and the degree of soybean row closure within a field.

Drawing from this research, Sporecaster utilizes developed models to assess the risk of apothecia presence in soybean fields. Farmers can conveniently enter site-specific information about their crops into the application, which then integrates this data with research-based models to ascertain optimal timing for potential white mold treatment or to evaluate whether such treatment is warranted at a particular time.

Utilizing GPS coordinates, Sporecaster analyzes historical local weather data to determine if conditions have been conducive for apothecia development during the critical flowering period of soybeans. The application employs 30-day averages for maximum temperature, relative humidity, and maximum wind speeds to predict favorable growth conditions across various soybean cultivation regions. Subsequently, it generates site-specific risk predictions tailored to three scenarios: non-irrigated soybeans, soybeans planted in 15" row-spacing with irrigation, and soybeans in 30" row-spacing with irrigation.