2021
Georgia Soybean Rust and Fungal Disease Sentinel Plot Monitoring Program
Category:
Sustainable Production
Keywords:
Crop protectionDiseaseField management
Lead Principal Investigator:
Robert Kemerait, University of Georgia
Co-Principal Investigators:
Project Code:
Contributing Organization (Checkoff):
Institution Funded:
Brief Project Summary:
Sentinel plot monitoring alerts southeastern soybean farmers to the appearance of Asian soybean rust and provides information to help them make treatment decisions. Fungicides applied based on early warnings may protect soybean yields by 25 bu/A or more, but they aren’t necessary every year. The sentinel plots include patches of kudzu, an overwintering host for ASR. Soybean plots containing varieties of three different maturity groups are planted early at Georgia’s experiment stations as sentinel plots. All plots are monitored weekly from April through September. Soybean farmers in Georgia and neighboring states benefit from knowing when ASR is moving their direction.
Key Beneficiaries:
#agronomists, #Extension agents, #farmers
Unique Keywords:
#asian soybean rust, #diseases, #fungicide , #sentinel plots, #soybean diseases, #soybean rust
Information And Results
Project Summary

Although Asian soybean rust has not been a serious production problem outside of the southeastern United States, soybean producers in Georgia need to be prepare to manage this disease annually. In a stark example from 2012 where a grower managed rust in one half of a field but not the other, yields in the untreated half were reduced by 50%. As of the conclusion of the 2016 season, national funds, e.g. the United Soybean Board, were no longer available. As funding formerly available from national sources is now gone, funding from the Georgia Commodity Commission for Soybeans has become essential to protect the interests of our soybean producers.

Project Objectives

To develop, implement, monitor, and report on the results from a sentinel plot monitoring program for Asian soybean rust and other diseases of soybean. Sentinel plots will have been established across Georgia since 2015 and monitored appropriately throughout the season for the development of Asian soybean rust. Based upon our research, fungicides that were applied based upon early warning may have protected yields by 25 bu/A (or more in some cases). Asian soybean rust will remain an important concern and limiting factor for growers in our state into the future.

Project Deliverables

Progress Of Work

Final Project Results

Benefit To Soybean Farmers

The success of the Asian soybean rust sentinel plot program is especially pronounced when weather conditions (extended periods of rain) early in the season appeared to be extremely favorable for development of soybean rust and other diseases. Without the sentinel plot program, recommendations early in the season would be to apply fungicides which would have increased production costs for the growers. With a sentinel plot program in place, recommendations to apply fungicides are given when they are actually needed.

The United Soybean Research Retention policy will display final reports with the project once completed but working files will be purged after three years. And financial information after seven years. All pertinent information is in the final report or if you want more information, please contact the project lead at your state soybean organization or principal investigator listed on the project.