05/30/05 NW solution to U.S. ag problem?

05/30/05 NW solution to U.S. ag problem?

It has been a big deal in many of the ag states in America, but in the Northwest, there has been hardly a mention. The reason is the way agriculture works in our region. While we have our share of specialty crops, and even some major crops such as wheat, corn, and cattle, the Northwest is not known for growing soybeans. So as growers in the South and Midwest are up in arms over the arrival of the potentially disastrous disease called Asian soybean rust, here in our region & it's no big deal. Well, almost. That's because an important discovery in the battle against Asian soybean rust may have been made in the Northwest & specifically at the research labs of Washington State University. KIDWELL: I would say that the results are quite preliminary. This is an observation that we saw that looked hopeful and promising. So what did Kim Kidwell, Professor of Crop Sciences at W.S.U., and her research team discover? It appears that glyphosate-resistant soybeans could have reduced susceptibility to Asian soybean rust when the crop is treated with glyphosate. Sounds confusing? To break it down in layman's terms, glyphosate is the active ingredient in generic use herbicides consumers may be more familiar with by brand names such as "Round Up", "Rodeo", and "Accord". Monsanto, the makers of "Roundup", has for years studied and developed crops such as corn and soybeans with glyphosate and other genetic modified components already included in the seed for pest and weed control. This study has been under the banner of the "Round Up Ready" program. In fact, it was Kidwell's experimental study of "Round Up Ready" wheat that led to the accidental discovery on soybeans. Kidwell says now considering that ninety per cent of the U.S. soybean crop consists of glyphosate-resistant varieties; there is a very good chance that our soybean crops may be less susceptible to Asian soybean rust than beans from some of our major competitors, like Brazil. But even though W.S.U. has applied for a patent on the discovery, Kidwell cautions that the theory has yet to be proven and that more research must be conducted. KIDWELL: It's a possibility that this could be a very nice control method for rust at some level. The issue is though timing, application rates, all that type of thing, and I think most importantly glyphosate isn't labeled for fungicide use. And so the serendipitous discovery has opened up lots of venues for potential research. In the meantime, Kidwell is advising Midwest soybean growers if they already use a glyphosate-based weed control system for soybeans, to keep on using it.
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