Application Technologies for Asian Soybean Rust Management

Abstract

1.1 Occurrence Soybean rust is a foliar disease which initially surfaced and remained for many years in Asian countries such as Taiwan, Thailand, Japan and India (Ozkan et al., 2006). After that, the disease was detected in Uganda and South Africa and more recently in South America. Asian Soybean Rust (ASR) is caused by the Phakopsora pachyrhizi Sydon & P. Sydon fungus and has been the worst disease in soybean culture. The disease has been present on the American continent, in Paraguay and southern regions of Brazil since 2001 (Yorinori et al., 2010). The importance of ASR disease in Brazil can be evaluated by its rapid expansion and severity and the subsequent economic losses. Over three years (2001 to 2003), ASR dispersed to all soybean producing regions of Brazil, reached the whole of the American continent and was detected in the United States of America in November, 2004 (Yorinori, 2010). ASR disease, when not controlled, can cause a total loss of production (Yorinori et al., 2004). In Brazil, crops free of disease can have an average productivity of 3,300 kg ha-1. However, with the production cost included for a return, net profits of 2,436 kg ha-1 have been seen, thus it is recommendable to control the causal agent of the disease (Yorinori, 2005). In the 2007/08 season, ASR showed the lowest severity level since the 2002/03 season, due to farmer awareness of the necessity to obey the “period of sowing interruption”, instituted by many of states of the Brazilian Federation. Another cause for improvement was the predominance in the planting of earlier varieties and the improved monitoring system of the disease (Yorinori et al., 2010).