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United Soybean Board has expressed some degree of concern that Asian soybean rust has taken a lot of headlines this growing season. "Soybean producers need to avoid developing tunnel vision on rust and ignoring other production challenges," they said in a release last week. "Even though rust has great potential to become established in the United States and cause significant yield losses, experts say we may not see widespread yield losses for several years," Jim Robertson, Vice Chair USB Production Committee and a farmer from Indianola, Mississippi, said in the release. "At the same time, we have several other diseases and pests creating yield losses right now, and the checkoff has made those problems funding priorities, too." "The soybean checkoff production committee is acutely aware of yield-robbing diseases, insects or other problems that might reduce our yields or soybean quality," says USB Production Chair Jim Sallstrom, a soybean farmer from Winthrop, Minnesota. Here are a list of issues USB is urging growers to keep in mind this season with examples of related research projects in which the Board is involved: Soybean aphids: While not a significant problem in 2004, aphids caused major damage in 2003. Last fall, a record number of aphids settled throughout much of the upper soybean-growing region. Field observations have confirmed that many aphids survived in Minnesota, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and other locations. USB is supporting a project studying aphid-resistant genes found in USDA's germplasm collection. USB has provided $170,000 to researchers at the University of Illinois who are evaluating genes by working with aphids in the greenhouse to ensure adequate pest pressure. White mold: This is a threat, particularly in cool temperatures and moist soils. With weather being a factor, white mold caused an estimated soybean yield loss of 60 million bushels in 2004, compared with about 2 million bushels in the previous year. Soybeans planted early this year run the greatest risk of white mold, though the severity depends on summer rains, especially right before and after flowering. To ensure well-focused research is performed to find ways to control white mold, USB joined with four commodity groups and USDA-ARS to help direct research through the Sclerotinia Initiative. State and national soybean checkoffs spent $96,100 total for white mold in the 2004-2005 fiscal year, and, through joint research efforts of the Sclerotinia Initiative, soybean researchers have received over $200,000 annually to study the disease. Soybean cyst nematode (SCN): is the single largest yield-robbing pest in soybean fields today as it causes substantial yield losses each year. Farmers need to test their soil regularly and rotate different types of SCN-resistant varieties. During the past two years, state and national soybean checkoffs have provided more than $1.5 million annually for SCN research. With some of this funding, one SCN research team has been able to identify several parasitism genes in the pest. These parasitism genes are being tested by introducing them into soybean roots. Genetic markers for these resistance genes will be identified and used to improve the efficiency of breeding these resistance traits into elite germplasm. Sudden death syndrome (SDS): This is another disease affected by weather. Estimated yield loss from SDS jumped to 42 million bushels in 2004, due to the cool, wet weather across much of the soybean-growing region. Regardless of the disease or pest, if it hurts US soybean farmers, USB will continue to fund research to combat the threat and protect producers.
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