Sep 24, 2015
Soybean Rust Cases decline 92% in Mato Grosso do Sul in 10 years
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The number of confirmed cases of soybean rust in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul has declined 92% over the past ten years. According to Embrapa, which monitors the spread of soybean rust, during the 2014/15 growing season the state only recorded 19 cases of rust compared to 246 cases in 2004/05.
The president of the Soybean and Corn Producers Association of Mato Grosso do Sul attributes the success in holding down the number of rust cases to farmers obeying the soybean-free period from June 15th to September 15th, planting early maturing soybeans that are exposed to rust for a shorter period of time, and monitoring the fields for the first presence of the disease and using appropriate control measures.
Soybean rust first was discovered in Brazil during the 2000/01 growing season and it quickly spread to all the major soybean producing regions of Brazil. Initially, it was very difficult to control the disease, but efforts by scientists, chemical companies, farmers, and the government have made significant headway in limiting the damage done by the disease. It will continue to be an ongoing effort until new varieties of soybeans are developed that are resistant to the disease. Some progress has been made in this area, but more needs to be done.