Hail Injury in Soybean
Early season soybean hail injury includes tattered soybean leaves and bruised or cut stems and petioles. Bruises to the stem may affect standability later in the season and result in lodging. Later season hail injury may result in bruising or severing of soybean pods which can reduce yield, result in soybeans germinating within the pod, or increase risk of seed diseases such as Phomopsis seed decay. Yield loss is dependent on the timing and severity of the injury. Symptoms of hail are not often confused with a disease; however, wounds may be entry points for pathogens to infect plants.
Soybean injured by hail.
Daren Mueller
Soybean leaves and pods on the soil surface after a hail event.
Adam Sisson
Should hail occur, producers should wait a week to accurately assess severity of the injury. Look for signs of recovery and new growth before taking further actions such as replanting.
Prepared and reviewed by the Science for Success team and the Integrated Pest Management Program at Iowa State University.
Soybean injured after hail.
Soybean leaves and pods on the soil surface after a hail event.
Soybean injury caused by hail.
Soybean injury caused by hail.
Missing leaf tissue symptomatic of hail injury.
Soybean field with hail injury.
Soybean stem breakage caused by hail.
Severe injury to soybean field caused by hail.
Gallery images courtesy Daren Mueller, Adam Sisson, and Tristan Mueller.
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