S Agricultural Experiment Station Research Bulletin H 
HISTORY, OCCURRENCE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE DISEASE 
No i:)ublished report of a disease of soy beans caused b}" any 
species of Fusarium and one account only of attempts to produce 
a disease of this host with the cowpea wilt organism have been 
brought to the writer’s attention. Orton (19, p. 10-19) conducted 
these tests at Edisto Island, S. C., in 1900, and at Monetta, S. C. 
He says (p. 18) : 
“Eight varieties (soy beans) Avere tried on ten plats. All 
proved to be immune to the wilt disease, but none of them Avas 
adapted to the local conditions. The groAvth Avas A^ery small, the 
2)lants aA^eraging from 8 to 14 inches high, tho most of the 
A^arieties bore a good cro^D of seed for such small 2 )lants. All 
suffered from much drought in midsummer and all Avere badly 
injured by the root nematode. On examination of the roots a 
moderate number of bacterial tubercles Avere found. * * 
They (soy beans) Avere at a considerable disadvantage in this test 
on account of the late date of j^l^uhing and the ensuing dry 
Aveather.” 
The varieties tested Avere Tokio, Buckshot, Yosho, Ito San, 
Manhattan, GuelxDh, and Amherst.^ Orton reported that at 
Edisto Island the soy bean made a lieaA^y groAvth, 3 or 4 feet high, 
and Avas free from the Avilt disease. It may be said that a A’ery 
considerable t:)ro2)ortion of the seA^eral A^arieties of coAV|)eas groAvn 
in adjacent ])lots succumbed to Avilt. The results of these tests 
accord Avith the obserAuttions of others Avho liaA^e had oi)t)ortunity 
to ol)serA^e these crops Avhen they Avere groAvn on soil known to be 
infested Avith coAvj^ea Avilt. 
A limited number of careful observations IniA'e therefore been 
made during 1915 and 191G to determine Avhether the Fusarium 
diseases of these tAvo hosts are coextensiA'e in range and thus to 
furnish evidence of the identity of the two. Tavo 5-acre fields on 
widely separated j^arts of the North Carolina Exj^eriment Station 
farm, in Avhich cowjK'as and soy beans Avere groAAui in alternate 
i-OAVs, shoAved a AX'rv considerable ])ro})ortion of the former host 
aflected, Avhereas the latter remained entirely free from disease. 
In other localities of the State, soy beans groAving on soil infested 
AA’ith the coAvpea-Avilt t)rganism lun'e remained disease-free. 
Observations dilfering from these Avere made in the case of 
soil brought from another part of the Station farm. IMien this 
soil AAuis used to groAv soy beans in ])ots out of doors, it aauis found 
to be infested Avith the soy bean-blight organism, as shoAvn by the 
develo}unent of the disease in 33 of the 80 jars (Plate 95, 1) and 
*Tlic tinmcs in use for tlicsc varieties in 1890 were respectively as follows: Hest 
Mirren. Karly Hlack, Voslioka, Rokugatsha. (iosha, Illack Rouiul, (Ireen Medium, and 
Dakaziro. 
