New Soybean Varieties Promise ASR Resistance in South America

Sep 14, 2023

For decades, Asian Soybean Rust (ASR) has plagued South American soybean fields, posing significant threats to their yields.

This deadly disease, primarily caused by the aggressive pathogen Phakopsora pachyrhizi, thrives in the hot and tropical conditions of South America, leading to yield losses ranging from 10 to 80%.

Diana Horvath, 2Blades' president, highlights the grave concern as she states that without a growing break, this pathogen finds an optimal environment for proliferation.

Consequently, in places like Brazil, where double cropping of soybeans was popular, the risk of ASR outbreaks increased manifold.

Farmers have tried various methods to combat this menace, including fungicide application and adjusting crop rotations.

Sergio Brommonschenkel, from the Universidade Federal de Viçosa, sheds light on the two primary fungicides used against ASR: single-site and multi-site.

However, resistance has emerged, making these once potent solutions less effective.

But not all hope is lost. With the recent complete sequencing of the ASR pathogen genome, doors have opened for creating transgenic ASR-resistant soybean varieties. 2Blades took the lead, finding ASR resistance in soybean relatives.

Partnering with industry giants like Corteva, they're on a mission to introduce these ASR-resistant soybeans to the market, offering a potential game-changer for South American farmers.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.