Recently, FRAC announced the mutation of the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi in relation to Carboxamides. The news surprised producers and researchers, as the reaction that generated rust resistance in soybeans came sooner than they imagined.
The increase in the recurrence of stronger organisms is due to selection pressure, in which defensives are the key factor. According to data collected in recent harvests, the number of fungicide applications has been increasing and by always using the same method of control, the organisms have developed such resistance.
For events like this to become less and less recurrent, the burden of rust control should not be placed solely on fungicides: resistance management is necessary.
Climate
Don't count on luck. We have no way of knowing when and if the crop will face rust infestation. The only thing we know for sure is that the plantation is susceptible. Even if your crop does not present any focus of the disease, resistance management is necessary.
As it is a fungus that spreads through the air, the climate is a key factor in this problem. Therefore, some adjustments are important. From the time of planting to the choice of pesticides, it is necessary to take this factor into consideration.
Due to the risk of the disease arriving earlier than last year, it is recommended that producers sow as early as possible, as a way to avoid the season with the highest incidence of rust. The less you expose the crop to the fungus, the better.
Due to the ease of transportation, a problem that is local can even become international, that is, it can quickly arrive or come from neighboring countries.
Monitoring
Go to the field. Direct contact with the crop allows the fungus to be identified more quickly, avoiding large losses. Find out via the web and with neighbors about the disease situation. Work preventively, after all, prevention is better than cure.
Products
Choose right. Although cost is always one of the factors to be taken into consideration, the main decision driver would be cost-benefit. Avoid using less efficient products. The less effective the product is, the more applications will need to be made and, consequently, the organisms will become more resistant. Furthermore, it will result in less effective control of the disease, consequently, with greater losses.
The mode of action of fungicides is an important point when it comes to choosing these tools. To enhance the management action, the use of multisite products – or protectors, as they are known – make a total difference.
Application
Follow the rules. Always respect the dose and interval recommendations, they do not exist for nothing. There is a lot of research behind a product. Safety for both the farmer and the crop comes first.
Quality is fundamental. There is no point in having the most powerful fungicides and not using them well. The application technology for fungicides, and protectants, in particular, is a key factor in the success of Asian rust control. It must be done in the best possible way, respecting climatic limits and adapting to the properties' operations.
Resistance management advocates the greatest possible variation of active ingredients, preferably alternately, thus reducing the speed of appearance and mutations of the fungus that causes rust. Ideally, protectors should be present in all applications.
Think carefully. Under normal conditions, failure to use fungicides may result in a drop in productivity. Rust is unpredictable, quick to adapt, dynamic and treacherous. An undesirable partner whose participation in your business only you have the power to decide how much it will be. By choosing not to use protective fungicides, the producer enters a very high risk zone, in which a large part of his crop can be completely compromised.
Even though soybean rust resistance has still been detected in a limited area, the presence of resistant individuals in a population occurs and can increase gradually and quickly without correct integrated management. With an intelligent strategy and use of all available tools we can delay the worsening of this problem.
According to the pesticide industry, the most optimistic forecast for the launch of a new class of fungicides to control Asian soybean rust is for 2024, and until then, therefore, we will have to work strategically with the tools we know in the best possible way. . Get informed. Knowledge is the main input for the next harvest.
Source: Agrolink
