Mancha-alvo advances on soybeans and raises risk of losses Translation: Spot blotch advances on soybeans and raises risk of losses

The target spot has expanded its presence in soybean crops and has established itself as one of the main phytosanitary concerns of the crop in Brazil. Caused by the fungus Corynespora cassicola, the disease presents high severity, a history of resistance, and continuous growth of the infestation with each harvest, with direct impacts on the yield and quality of the grains. "In recent years, the target spot has had an annual increase of 33% in the treated area in Brazil. This annual growth rate is higher than other soybean problems, such as rust, white mold, and anthracnose, in the same period. This proves that crop management must evaluate the disease complex of each region," highlights Fábio Lemos, agricultural engineer and crop and portfolio manager for FMC, an agricultural science company. Among the factors that explain the evolution of the disease are the adoption of highly productive, yet more susceptible, materials, the extensive cultivation areas, the soybean-cotton ...