The infection rate of soybean black root rot disease caused by Calonectria crotalariae was about . The isolated fungi from the infected soybean roots and stems were Calonectria crotalariae, Fusarium solani, F. roseum, Phomopsis sojae, Pythium aphanidermatum, Rhizoctonia solani and Macrophomina sp. Among them, C. crotalariae was the most virulent pathogen under the laboratory conditions. Mycelial growth and microsclerotial formation were good on PSA containing 1000cc of water, 100g of potato and 20g of sugar. Mycelial growth, sporulation and microsclerotial formation were good on sterilized root. Perithecial formation was better in the dark condition than in the light. Survival of macroconidia was not available between soil water content. Microsclerotia and mycelium in infected plant debris were survived for 4 months at to soil water content. The plant height, when inoculated with inoculum density, reached approximately half of uninoculated plants. Disease severity was much higher at nonsterilized soil than completely sterilized soil. It was determined that the host range of this pathogen includes soybean, peanut, green bean and red bean.

Susceptibility of soybean cultivars to Calonectria illicicola was evaluated in a greenhouse by inoculating seedlings with mycelium in agar discs placed on the stems at the soil line. A range of responses was detected among cultivars following inoculation with a virulent isolate of C.ilicicola. Rankings of cultivars between greenhouse tests 1 and 2 were similar for disease severity and areas under the disease progress curves (AUDPC). In addition, rankings of cultivars for Final disease severity were highly correlated with AUDPC in test 1 (rs =0.88, t =5.48, p<0.001), test 2 (rs =0.99, t =22.10, p<0.001), and when tests were combined (rs =0.89, t=5.82, p<0. 001). Final disease severity and AUDPC consistently identified Asgrow 7986, Braxton, Cajun, and Forrest as soybean cultivars least susceptible to red crown rot. In 1993 and 1994 field tests, a range in disease susceptibility was observed for tested cultivars but none was completely resistant. Soybean cultivars Braxton, Cajun, and Forrest, which were least susceptible to red crown rot in greenhouse tests, also ranked among cultivars with the lowest disease incidence and AUDPC in field tests. Comparisons .between rankings of the eight cultivars common to greenhouse and field tests showed a correlation between final disease severity from combined greenhouse tests and both final disease incidence (rs =0.63, t =1.99, p<0.1) and AUDPC (rs =0.60, t =1.82, p < 0.2) from the combined field tests. However, AUDPC from greenhouse tests did not correlate with either final disease incidence or AUDPC from field tests. The green-house screening method provided consistent results between greenhouse and field tests and successfully identified the least susceptible cultivars Braxton, Cajun, and Forrest.