Illness at the end of the cycle: when the problem appears late, but the damage is complete
Introduction
Diseases that manifest at the end of the soybean cycle are often underestimated in the field. Often, the producer believes that, as they are close to harvest, these occurrences will have little impact on the final result. However, this perception ignores the physiological and economic effects associated with plant health in the final stages of development.
Main end-of-cycle diseases
Diseases such as target spot, leaf blight and pod rot can intensify late in the cycle, especially in favorable environments and crops with a history of high inoculum pressure.
These diseases reduce the active photosynthetic area, accelerate senescence and compromise grain filling and quality.
Relationship between health and grain quality
Sick plants tend to produce smaller, lighter grains and with a higher incidence of defects, such as burns and cracks. These factors directly impact the grain classification and increase the risk of discounts in marketing.
Furthermore, weakened tissues increase harvest losses, both due to natural threshing and mechanical damage.
Common handling errors
A frequent mistake is to reduce attention to applications at the end of the cycle, either due to operational fatigue or the false feeling that “the harvest is already guaranteed”. Poorly executed applications at this stage compromise disease control and amplify their negative effects.
O Route-VIP contributes to better coverage and adhesion of the mixture, while the Route-N reduces evaporation losses, increasing the efficiency of phytosanitary control even in challenging conditions.
Illness at the end of the cycle is not a detail. It is a decisive factor that affects productivity, quality and profitability.
👉 Evaluate the phytosanitary management of your crop with a Route consultant.
👉 Avoid silent losses at the end of the cycle.
References
BRAZILIAN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH COMPANY. Soybean diseases. Londrina: Embrapa Soja, 2021.
