First Report of Red Crown Rot, Caused by Calonectria ilicicola, and Its Effect on Soybean in Kentucky

Red crown rot, caused by Calonectria ilicicola, was confirmed in soybean fields in Kentucky for the first time during the 2021 growing season. Compared with asymptomatic plants, symptomatic plants collected from Kentucky soybean fields had less mass, fewer seed pods, fewer seeds, and less total seed mass. Future research should include field surveys to determine the geographical distribution of red crown rot in Kentucky and evaluation of potential management practices.