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ARS Home » Midwest Area » West Lafayette, Indiana » Crop Production and Pest Control Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #240630
Title: Progress of Soybean Disease Research in a Scenario of Global Changes and Future Challenges

Author
item PLOPER, L - Estacion Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC)
item GIAMMARIA, S - Estacion Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC)
item Abney, Thomas
item HUBER, D - Estacion Experimental Agroindustrial Obispo Colombres (EEAOC)

Submitted to: Component Pricing for Soybean
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/15/2009
Publication Date: 8/3/2009
Citation: Ploper, L.D., Giammaria, S.L., Abney, T.S., Huber, D.M. 2009. Progress of Soybean Disease Research in a Scenario of Global Changes and Future Challenges. Proceedings of Component Pricing for Soybean. P104-106.

Interpretive Summary: Diseases regularly reduce production efficiency of soybean. Soybean germplasm with good yield potential combined with multiple disease resistance is important to soybean producers. In spite of the renewed efforts to manage soybean diseases, there is still a major concern about yield and/or quality reduction due to pathogens. Climatic cycles modify environmental conditions affecting the survival and growth of plants, their pathogens, and the dynamics of disease epidemics to influence the outcome of disease control strategies. It will be increasingly important to understand the epidemiological processes and host-pathogen interactions as well as the impact of crop management practices on disease progress. Taking full advantage of the voluminous information available, the use of molecular technologies can assist in developing soybean cultivars with improved resistance to multiple plant pathogens. Sustainable soybean production in the next decade will require increased multidisciplinary research to support the education of soybean producers, crop consultants, commercial agriculture advisors and public policy-makers. This paper reviews the current status of soybean pathology research and the different strategies used to efficiently manage the most important disease problems anticipated with global climatic changes.

Technical Abstract: Diseases are among the biotic factors that reduce soybean productivity. They are caused by pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria, phytoplasmas, fungi, nematodes, and viruses) that affect different parts of the soybean plant, resulting in reduction of yield and/or quality. Several disease management techniques in addition to the use of resistant cultivars and fungicides are currently being recommended. However, the widespread use of these methods is still incomplete, and soybean production suffers significant losses due to disease. In addition, the occurrence of climatic changes can result in favorable environmental conditions that affect the survival and growth of both plant hosts and their pathogens, and hence the dynamics of disease epidemics. These changes may also influence the outcome of disease control strategies and thus need to be considered when implementing management programs. Sustainable soybean production in the coming decades will require increased research efforts in different disciplines as well as education of soybean producers, crop consultants, commercial agriculture advisors and public policy-makers. In the context of global changes in climate patterns, it will be important to understand ramifications of their effect on ecological and epidemiological processes underlying host-pathogen interactions that impact crop management, productivity, and disease development. It also will be critical to take full advantage of new strategies for disease control, and tools such as information obtained through molecular technologies that will facilitate the development of soybean cultivars with improved multiple disease resistance.