but you can plan for white mold pressure.
White mold has an annoying habit of making itself obvious when there’s not much you can do about it.
By the time its telltale white, cottony growth appears on soybean stems, infection has already occurred. And because the sclerotia that carry the fungus can survive in the soil for years, a field with a history of white mold deserves extra attention long before symptoms appear.
That’s why managing white mold isn’t just about reacting to what you see in the field. It’s about building a plan before the next crop goes in.
Know Where You’re at Risk
Cool, wet conditions and moisture within a dense soybean canopy can create favorable conditions for white mold development. Fields with a history of the disease deserve particular attention when planning for the next growing season.
Good field notes are a great place to start. Record where white mold appeared, how severely different varieties were affected and the field conditions where pressure was greatest.
Then use that information when making next year’s seed decisions.
Build Defense into Your Seed Selection
Variety selection is one of the most important tools farmers have for managing white mold risk.
Look closely at white mold ratings and other defensive characteristics when selecting soybeans for fields with a known history of disease. Latham’s 2027 soybean lineup includes varieties with strong white mold tolerance, including new K-Class™ products that combine top-end yield potential with the defensive characteristics needed across Latham Country.
Your Latham® Dealer can help evaluate options and match soybean products to the disease history, soils and management practices of each field.
Add Another Layer with SoyShield Ultra
Seed treatment provides another opportunity to build protection into your plan before planting.
Latham SoyShield™ Ultra brings several components together in one treatment package, including HeadsUp® for Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS) and soybean white mold suppression. It also includes an increased rate of mefenoxam compared to SoyShield Plus, BIOST for nematode and insect protection, and Amplifyr to support early-season plant growth.
In other words, SoyShield Ultra isn’t just about white mold. It’s designed to give soybeans broader protection against several of the disease and pest pressures farmers face across the Upper Midwest.
And that’s an important distinction: there isn’t one silver bullet for white mold.
The better approach is to layer management decisions — knowing your field history, selecting varieties with the right defensive package, using appropriate seed treatment and continuing to scout throughout the season.
Start Planning Now
If you’re seeing white mold in your fields this season, don’t just make a mental note and move on.
Document it. Talk about it with your Latham Dealer. And use what you’re seeing today to make a stronger plan for 2027.
You can’t control what Mother Nature delivers next season. But you can make decisions now that help your soybeans stand up to the pressure.
Talk with your local Latham Dealer about soybean selection and whether SoyShield Ultra is a good fit for your acres.