Bean Binoculars Incident

Soybeans were scouted at the R8 (full maturity) growth stage and bright orange, rounded masses were observed in patches along soybean stems and on pods. The issue was confirmed to be slime mold by an NC State Extension Specialist. Slime mold comes from the species Physarum, which are non-pathogenic organisms and therefore not labeled as a disease. These non-pathogenic organisms are specifically saprophyte organisms, which are not a threat to the crop as a whole. The bright orange color comes from the organism being in a mature stage. The initial color of this organism appears white.

Because this type of mold is non-pathogenic, there are no management recommendations. If you'd like to see what slime mold symptoms look like in earlier stages you can check out this Beans Gone Wild entry linked here.