Columns
Monday, March 7, 2005
common sense on: soybean rust
By Senator Tom Harkin
Q: Why worry about soybean rust this year?
A: Asian soybean rust was first detected in the United States last November in Louisiana, and since then in eight other states. Soybean rust can survive the winter months on kudzu, a weed that is abundant throughout the southern United States. In fact, the discovery of soybean rust in Florida just last month fulfilled the prediction that rust would survive the southern winter, providing a source of spores to spread this spring. Experience in other countries indicates that fields affected by soybean rust and not properly treated with fungicides can suffer yield declines between 10 percent and 80 percent. So farmers need to be aware of this disease, and plan accordingly.
Q: How will farmers know when to apply fungicides?
A: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is working with state governments and commodity groups to develop a nationwide surveillance system, including use of sentinel plots with early maturing varieties, to help provide information about the spread of the disease. USDA is also planning to establish a website designed to provide information and forecasts. Regular scouting of fields, using a hand lens to look for spots on leaves, will also be important. Farmers should keep in mind that if they wait to apply fungicides until they see obvious signs of rust in their fields it may be too late. However, it is also possible to apply fungicides too early, since the protection lasts only 1-3 weeks. Staying on top of developments in your fields and area will be critically important.
Q: Will farmers have access to the fungicides necessary to combat soybean rust?
A: The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has provided emergency exemptions to four additional fungicides, so a total of seven fungicides will be allowed for use against soybean rust. These fungicides are available in 14 different products, and the companies that produce them have assured USDA that there will be enough of the products readily available to growers to cover the U.S. soybean acreage. I will work to make sure that government agencies and the private sector continue to work together to provide our growers with the best options for treating this destructive disease.
Q: If farmers treat their soybean fields for rust and still have losses, will they be covered by crop insurance?
A: USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) has declared that losses from diseases, including soybean rust, would be covered by crop insurance policies if producers use good farming practices, including proper application of fungicides. I intend to press RMA to provide more guidance for farmers on this matter.
Q: Will farmers be able to buy soybean seeds that resist this disease?
A: There are currently no commercially available varieties of soybeans that demonstrate significant resistance to soybean rust. Both USDA and land-grant college and university scientists are working hard to develop such varieties, but most experts believe it will be several years before they are on the market for farmers to plant.
For more detailed information on this issue, I recommend that you visit a website maintained by the Plant Pathology Department at Iowa State University: http://www.plantpath.iastate.edu/soybeanrust/ .
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