PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

New and old threats to soybean production

2011-06-24
(Press-News.org) University of Illinois researchers identified the top pathogens, pests and weeds affecting soybean production in a recent article in Food Security. Soybean aphid, soybean rust, soybean cyst nematode, Sclerotina stem rot and the exotic pathogen, red leaf blotch, were featured as some of the top biotic constraints that may affect soybean production now and in the future.

"Enormous potential exists to increase future soybean production," said Glen Hartman, U of I professor of crop sciences and USDA-ARS research scientist. "Genetic resources, used through both traditional breeding and bioengineering, may provide the solutions needed to combat current and future disease problems."

As soybean production has increased over the past 50 years, so has the intensity of biotic constraints that ultimately threaten yield.

"Where soybean is grown every year or even every other year, pathogens often have increased in density to cause economic losses in yield," Hartman said. "Parasitic microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, nematodes, Oomycetes, and viruses all contribute to economic damage. A similar story occurs for pests; many, such as aphids, beetles, mites, and stinkbugs, cause considerable economic damage to the soybean crop."

Although aphids, rust, nematode and Sclerotina stem rot are commonly known and recognized by soybean growers, less information is known on red leaf blotch, an exotic disease caused by the fungal pathogen Phoma glycinicola, he said.

"The fungus that causes red leaf blotch is listed on the USDA Agricultural Select Agent List – the same list as anthrax," Hartman said. "So far, this disease has only been reported in Africa. However, if red leaf blotch is found in the United States, a recovery plan through the USDA-APHIS program has been developed that outlines a course of action to prevent it from spreading."

Red leaf blotch symptoms include lesions on foliage, petioles, pods and stems. The fungus does not appear to be seedborne, but may be transported along with soil and other debris in grain. Yield losses of up to 50 percent were documented in Zambia and Zimbabwe in the 1980s.

"We don't want to scare people because this disease has not been found in the United States," Hartman said. "But we do want growers to be aware of it because they are typically the ones to find new pathogens, pests and weeds in their fields. Our goal is to build awareness among crop specialists and producers so we can stay ahead of it."

Hartman said more research is needed to develop molecular diagnostic techniques to identify this pathogen from other common foliar soybean pathogens, to provide better information on fungicide chemistry and application timing, to develop varietal resistance and gather more data to develop predictive models for potential containment and management.

To successfully reduce losses due to pathogens and pests, a number of practices used alone or in combination may be needed; these include cultural and seed sanitation techniques, pesticide applications, and deployment of soybean cultivars with resistance.

"Biosecurity of food crops is important because we don't want to suffer food shortages – whether it's due to natural disasters or pathogens and pests that we can sometimes control," Hartman said. "If you are talking about food and crop improvement, you are always talking about reducing diseases and pests."

INFORMATION:

This article, "Crops that feed the World 2. Soybean – worldwide production, use, and constraints caused by pathogens and pests," appeared in Food Security. Researchers included Hartman, Ellen West and Theresa Herman of the U of I. Funding was provided by the Illinois Soybean Association, the North Central Soybean Research Program and the Elizabeth Hageman Endowed Graduate Research Fellowship.

END



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Landscape coefficients prove useful for urban water conservation efforts

2011-06-24
COLLEGE STATION, TX—Although water consumption and conservation are widely recognized as significant environmental concerns in the United States, most Americans are still unaware of the major impact of landscape irrigation on their regional water supplies. One startling example: a 2004 study of homeowners in College Station, Texas, estimated that more than 24 to 34 million gallons of excess water were used annually for landscape irrigation alone. According to the authors of a study published in HortScience, end-users lack understanding of best management practices for ...

A step toward controlling Huntington's disease?

2011-06-24
Johns Hopkins researchers have identified a natural mechanism that might one day be used to block the expression of the mutated gene known to cause Huntington's disease. Their experiments offer not an immediate cure, but a potential new approach to stopping or even preventing the development of this relentless neurodegenerative disorder. Huntington's disease is a rare, fatal disorder caused by a mutation in a single gene and marked by progressive brain damage. Symptoms, which typically first appear in midlife, include jerky twitch-like movements, coordination troubles, ...

Service projects increase learning, social impact for undergrads

2011-06-24
COLLEGE STATION, TX—Service learning involves the incorporation of community service into a course as a requirement for credit or graduation. In the service learning model, students participate in ''real life'' and hands-on activities while also working within the community. Researchers T.M. Waliczek and J.M. Zajicek reported on a study of service learning integrated into a university-level horticulture course in HortTechnology. The team found that involvement in service learning changed students' opinions regarding community involvement and also increased their understanding ...

To fix diabetic nerve damage, blood vessels and support cells may be the real targets of treatment

2011-06-24
Blood vessels and supporting cells appear to be pivotal partners in repairing nerves ravaged by diabetic neuropathy, and nurturing their partnership with nerve cells might make the difference between success and failure in experimental efforts to regrow damaged nerves, Johns Hopkins researchers report in a new study. About 20 percent of diabetics experience neuropathy, a painful tingling, burning or numbness in the hands and feet that reflects damage to nerves and sometimes leads to infections and amputation of the toes, fingers, hands and feet over time. Current treatments ...

Dairy manure goes urban

Dairy manure goes urban
2011-06-24
WIMAUMA, FL—When natural ecosystems are replaced by roads, homes, and commercial structures, soil is negatively impacted. Studies have shown that, among other issues, distressed urban soils are often significantly compacted, may have alkaline pH, and may contain low amounts of essential organic matter and nutrients. This altered soil is typically not conducive to healthy plant root growth and establishment, leading to challenges for urban landscapes and home gardens. "The management of urban soils often requires a different approach than is applied to natural or agricultural ...

Prompt Proofing Says: Do Not Ignore the Power of the Blog

2011-06-24
No matter what your area of business, even if it is as seemingly localized and simplistic as a lawn-mowing service, you cannot ignore the power of the blog in today's world of business. True, the area of social media as a whole is vital but this has become such a daunting subject, deserving of several months of blog posts to even scratch its surface, that it is easier to focus on one area, and the blog is certainly one effective and very doable area in which businesses can market themselves at a low cost, reach a whole new demographic of customers and dictate its entire ...

Adolescents' dieting and disordered eating behaviors continue into young adulthood

2011-06-24
Philadelphia, PA, June 24, 2011 – Adolescents who diet and develop disordered eating behaviors (unhealthy and extreme weight control behaviors and binge eating) carry these unhealthy practices into young adulthood and beyond, according to a study conducted by University of Minnesota researchers and published in the July 2011 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. "The findings from the current study argue for early and ongoing efforts aimed at the prevention, early identification, and treatment of disordered eating behaviors in young people," commented ...

Lithium profoundly prevents brain damage associated with Parkinson's disease

2011-06-24
Lithium profoundly prevents the aggregation of toxic proteins and cell loss associated with Parkinson's disease (PD) in a mouse model of the condition. Preclinical research is now underway at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging to determine correct dosages for a drug that continues to be the gold standard for the treatment of bipolar disorder. The Buck is currently working toward initiating a Phase IIa clinical studies of lithium in humans in conjunction with standard PD drug therapy. The research appears in the June 24 online edition of the Journal of Neuroscience ...

Exposure to parental stress increases pollution-related lung damage in children

2011-06-24
Psychosocial stress appears to enhance the lung-damaging effects of traffic-related pollution (TRP) in children, according to new research from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles. The results will appear online ahead of the print edition of the American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. "This is the first study demonstrating that growing up in a stressful household was associated with larger traffic pollution-induced lung deficits in healthy children compared to low stress ...

FSHCC Partners with the Pet Chamber of Commerce to Kickstart Florida Pet Business! Florida Entrepreneur Launches Crowd Funding Project on Kickstarter.com

2011-06-24
Most economic analysts and experts agree, Florida's economic future depends on creating and nurturing a healthy environment for business development, job creation and economic growth. Florida entrepreneurs often cite the Access to Capital as one the biggest stumbling blocks to starting a new business. Florida entrepreneurs who may be feeling a bit like they've been chasing their own tail, when it comes to securing the business financing they need. Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce has a solution to get them finally barking up the right tree! Access Florida Capital ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Are lifetimes of big appliances really shrinking?

Pink skies

Monkeys are world’s best yodellers - new research

Key differences between visual- and memory-led Alzheimer’s discovered

% weight loss targets in obesity management – is this the wrong objective?

An app can change how you see yourself at work

NYC speed cameras take six months to change driver behavior, effects vary by neighborhood, new study reveals

New research shows that propaganda is on the rise in China

Even the richest Americans face shorter lifespans than their European counterparts, study finds

Novel genes linked to rare childhood diarrhea

New computer model reveals how Bronze Age Scandinavians could have crossed the sea

Novel point-of-care technology delivers accurate HIV results in minutes

Researchers reveal key brain differences to explain why Ritalin helps improve focus in some more than others

Study finds nearly five-fold increase in hospitalizations for common cause of stroke

Study reveals how alcohol abuse damages cognition

Medicinal cannabis is linked to long-term benefits in health-related quality of life

Microplastics detected in cat placentas and fetuses during early pregnancy

Ancient amphibians as big as alligators died in mass mortality event in Triassic Wyoming

Scientists uncover the first clear evidence of air sacs in the fossilized bones of alvarezsaurian dinosaurs: the "hollow bones" which help modern day birds to fly

Alcohol makes male flies sexy

TB patients globally often incur "catastrophic costs" of up to $11,329 USD, despite many countries offering free treatment, with predominant drivers of cost being hospitalization and loss of income

Study links teen girls’ screen time to sleep disruptions and depression

Scientists unveil starfish-inspired wearable tech for heart monitoring

Footprints reveal prehistoric Scottish lagoons were stomping grounds for giant Jurassic dinosaurs

AI effectively predicts dementia risk in American Indian/Alaska Native elders

First guideline on newborn screening for cystic fibrosis calls for changes in practice to improve outcomes

Existing international law can help secure peace and security in outer space, study shows

Pinning down the process of West Nile virus transmission

UTA-backed research tackles health challenges across ages

In pancreatic cancer, a race against time

[Press-News.org] New and old threats to soybean production