The baby lima bean (Phaseolus lunatus) is one of the most economically important crops for Delaware. Pod rot of lima bean caused by Phytophthora capsici is a relatively new disease that threatens production and profitability of lima beans grown in Delaware and the mid-Atlantic region. Insensitivity to the fungicide mefenoxam has made managing the disease challenging in recent years. In 2014, 12 fungicides in two trials were tested for their efficacy against P. capsici in lima bean. Results indicated that all fungicide treatments significantly reduced disease incidence compared to the control, with oxathiapiprolin achieving the best control in Trial 1 and fluazinam and mefenoxam achieving the best control in Trial 2. Fungicide treated plots also yielded significantly greater than controls in Trial 2. These results indicate that there are additional fungicides on the market with efficacy towards managing pod rot of lima bean and warrant further investigation for possible new labels. Accepted for publication 16 May 2016. Published 9 June 2016.

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Plant clinics have been used as a tool to help Extension professionals diagnose crop production problems; however, limited resources have made it difficult to continue to offer in-person clinics. Using distance-learning technology, University of Maryland Extension initiated and offered to Extension professionals "virtual" plant clinics (VPCs) during the 2017 and 2018 growing seasons. Participants reported an increase in knowledge of field conditions across the state and felt that they were more likely to attend a VPC over an in-person clinic. Hosting VPCs is a way for Extension faculty to increase internal communication, share ideas throughout the growing season, and foster collaborations.

Double cropped soybeans are planted on approximately 1/3 of crop acres in the Chesapeake Bay region of the United States. Producers have asked if foliar fungicides are required to optimize yields in this region. We assessed the impacts of foliar fungicide application timing and row spacing on foliar disease, greenstem, and yield from 11 site years spanning 2017-2019. Foliar diseases only developed at rateable levels in one location. Fungicide application, regardless of timing, increased percent greenstem over non-treated controls. Fungicide application did not impact soybean yield. Yield was greater in 38.1 cm rows when compared to 19 cm rows. Our data do not support the use of foliar fungicides in double cropped soybean production in this region.