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IDC, HPPD herbicides could be to blame for yellow patches in soybeans

An Iowa State University Extension agronomist is seeing more discoloration than normal in soybeans.

Meaghan Anderson says yellow or white patches in otherwise green bean fields are a common sight this summer.

“Even in some areas where we don’t typically run into, in particular the iron deficiency symptoms. We’ve actually seen that even in some cases further into eastern Iowa where it’s less common.”

AndersonIDC1                                 (:15) “…common over there.”

She tells Brownfield Iron Deficiency Chlorosis is one of several probable causes.

“I don’t fully understand the reason why, except that obviously our soybeans were probably under more stress this year than they are in a typical year. And for whatever reason, iron was less available or in a less available form.”

Anderson says other possible reasons for yellow soybeans include carryover of HPPD inhibiting herbicides, potassium deficiency, and soybean cyst nematode.