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Spider
Mite injury to soybean can resemble herbicide injury or a foliar disease;
however, characteristic signs are tiny yellow spots, or stipples, on leaves. As
the injury becomes more severe, leaves turn yellow, then brown or bronze, and
finally die and drop off. Soybean plants injured by mites mature early, have
increased shattering, produce smaller seeds, and may produce wrinkled seeds.
Early and severe mite injury left untreated can completely eliminate yields.
More typical mite injury, occurring during late vegetative and early
reproductive growth, will reduce soybean yields 40-60 percent. Spider mites can
cause yield reductions as long as green pods are present. Soybean plants can
recover from substantial amounts of mite injury after treatment, although less
compensation is possible in later developmental stages.
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