Soybean Response to Flooded Soil Conditions and the Association with Soilborne Plant Pathogenic Genera

The role of soilborne pathogens in flood damage on soybeans, Glycine max, was examined using six genotypes representing a reputed range of flood tolerances. Genotypes were planted in single-row plots from 1996 to 1998 with flood treatments of no flood, flood at emergence (3-day duration), or flood at the fourth leaf node growth stage (7-day duration). Three or four days after removing each flood treatment, plant stands were estimated and 15 plants were collected from each plot, weighed, and rated for root discoloration. Roots were assayed for the presence of fungi and other filamentous eukaryotic organisms. Plant stands were reduced by flooding at emergence compared with the nonflooded control. Flooding at both growth stages caused significant increases in root discoloration compared with nonflooded soybeans. Plant weights were reduced in 2 of 3 years for flooding at emergence. Pythium was the only genus of filamentous organisms whose isolation frequency increased with flooding. Of the 60 Pythium isolates evaluated representing the different cultural groups based on appearance and growth rate on potato dextrose agar, cornmeal agar, and V8 agar, 47% were moderately to highly virulent on soybean. Pythium spp. isolated from soybean included the pathogenic species P. ultimum, P. aphanidermatum, P. irregulare, and P. vexans and Group HS. Nonpathogenic P. oligandrum also was isolated from soybean.