Planting Date and Cultivar Effects on Soybean Yield, Seed Quality, and Phomopsis sp. Seed Infection

Incidence of Phomopsis seed decay is frequently high and quality low in seed from early-maturing maturity group III and IV soybean cultivars planted in early to mid-April in the southern United States. Cultivars resistant to this disease have not been available until the recent release of germ plasm lines SS 93-6012 and SS 93-6181. Our objective was to determine the effects of planting dates with these lines and one Phomopsis seed decay-susceptible soybean cultivar, Asgrow 3834, on seed infection by Phomopsis spp. and on yield and the correlation between percentage of Asgrow 3834 infected with Phomopsis spp. and seed quality. Generally, yields averaged over years were significantly greater for mid-April than mid-June plantings, and yields of cultivars were similar within a planting date. Soybean lines SS 93-6012 and SS 93-6181 were highly resistant to Phomopsis seed decay compared with the susceptible cultivar, Asgrow 3834. There was a significant, negative correlation between germination of seed from mid-April plantings of Asgrow 3834 and percentage of these seed infected with Phomopsis spp. Moreover, there were significant correlations between fatty acid composition of Asgrow 3834 seed and the percentage of these seed infected with Phomopsis spp. This altered composition of fatty acids may be responsible for reduced quality of oil derived from seed infected with this fungus. Phomopsis seed decay-resistant soybean lines SS 93-6012 and SS 93-6181 should be useful in breeding programs focused on developing high-yielding cultivars resistant to this disease.