Girma Tabor, Leonor Leandro and Alison Robertson, Department of Plant Pathology at Iowa State University say brown stem rot (BSR) and sudden death syndrome (SDS) are among the most important yield-reducing diseases of soybeans throughout Iowa.

These diseases are easily confused because foliar symptoms are very similar. It is important to diagnose BSR and SDS correctly so that appropriate disease management practices can be applied. This article presents a review of each disease, provides guidelines on how to distinguish them, and describes available management options.

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