In the 2003 growing season, charcoal rot, a disease new to Iowa producers, was prevalent in the soybean fields of Iowa. This was the first ever statewide occurrence in Iowa with severe damage to many soybean fields. In the south, this disease has been a yield robber and has drastically reduced the yield potential by as mush as the sudden death syndrome. This article will discuss the following aspects of this disease: l) the distribution and economic importance of the pathogen; 2) identification of the disease; 3) the disease cycle and epidemiology; 4) yield loss assessment and 5) management strategies.