Two-spotted spider mite. 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. Soybean leaf showing the early symptoms of stippling from spider mite feeding. Damage to soybean field from twospotted spider mites. Before spraying, scout the field and confirm that living mites are present. Examine other areas of the field, especially downwind, to identify the extent of the infestation in healthy plants.