Research Shows Glyphosate May Suppress Asian Soybean Rust
Preliminary research from Washington State University and USDA shows that glyphosate-resistant soybeans may help in fight against rust.
Compiled by staff
Published: May 3, 2005
Promising lab results by researchers at Washington State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service show the herbicide glyphosate has activity in suppressing Asian soybean rust.
WSU has applied for U.S. and international patent protection, which will be published soon. WSU, through its Washington State Research Foundation, intends to license this intellectual property broadly. The foundation already has reached a preliminary agreement with Monsanto Co., the producer of glyphosate-based Roundup agricultural herbicides.
In the process of studying fungal pathogens in wheat, Kim Kidwell, a spring wheat breeder; graduate student Jamie Baley; and Tim Paulitz, a plant pathologist with the USDA-ARS, Pullman, found that glyphosate suppressed Asian soybean rust in preliminary greenhouse trials when glyphosate-resistant soybeans were treated. The greenhouse trials were conducted at the USDA-ARS Fort Detrick, Md., location where the USDA has facilities to work with foreign pathogens under bio-containment.
"These early findings are promising, however, further research must be conducted to validate the results under field use conditions," says R. James Cook, plant pathologist and interim dean of WSU's College of Agricultural, Human, and Natural Resource Sciences. "If these results translate to the field, this could provide another tool to soybean producers in combating Asian soy rust." He also notes this finding would not have been possible without the biotechnological advances in plant breeding and plant pathology of the past several years.
Jerry Hjelle, vice president for Monsanto Worldwide Regulatory Affairs, cautioned that the data is preliminary. "We will be carefully analyzing the research from WSU and gathering further information to determine product efficacy and use on Roundup Ready Soybeans," says Hjelle. "At this time, we strongly recommend soybean producers use fungicides labeled for treatment of Asian soybean rust."
Glyphosate herbicides are not currently registered or labeled to protect against or control Asian soybean rust and existing residue tolerances may not be adequate for this potential use. It is a violation of federal law to use a glyphosate pesticide in a manner inconsistent with its labeling.
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Tagged: soybean, soybean rust, Asian soybean rust, usda, wheat
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