Mar 19, 2010
Brazilian Farmers Continue To Battle Late-Season Soybean Rust
Author: Michael Cordonnier/Soybean & Corn Advisor, Inc.
The nationwide soybean yields in Brazil will be good this growing season, but it is coming at the cost of increased amounts of fungicide applications in order to control soybean rust. Farmers who applied one or two fungicide treatments in recent years needed to apply up to five applications this year to adequately control the disease. This has been a particular problem for the late-maturing soybeans that have been exposed to the disease for a longer period of time.
In Mato Grosso for example, reports indicate that the late-maturing soybeans in Lucas do Rio Verde, which is located in central Mato Grosso, were attacked severely by the disease and yields were reduced significantly. Current statewide estimates of the soybean yield in Mato Grosso puts it at 50 sacks per hectare (3,000 kg/ha, 43.5 bu/ac) compared to 50.86 sacks per hectare in 2008-09 (3,051 kg/ha, 44.2 bu/ac) and 52.47 sacks per hectare in 2007-08 (3,148 kg/ha, 45.6 bu/ac).
Dryer weather has accelerated the soybean harvest in Mato Grosso, which now has surpassed 70%. The early maturing soybeans in the state were impacted by the wet weather during December and January and as a result, yields of the early maturing soybeans were sub-par. The medium maturing soybeans yielded normally and the later maturing soybeans were also a little disappointing as well due to soybean rust.
The second leading soybean producing state in Brazil is Parana and over 50% of the soybeans have been harvested in that state. Yields of the early and medium maturing soybeans in Parana are quite good and the later maturing soybeans could yield good as well if the farmers manage to adequately control soybean rust.
In Rio Grande do Sul, which is the third leading soybean producing state, the soybean harvest is just in its initial stages. The early maturing soybeans are yielding in the range of 3,000 kg/ha (43.5 bu/ac), which is a good for the state. The yields of the later-planted soybeans are yet to be determined. A significant portion of the soybeans planted in Rio Grande do Sul were planted in December due to heavy rains during the month of November. These late-planted soybeans are now filling pods and won't be mature until some time in April.
The problem is that the weather in Rio Grande do Sul during March has been quite dry. A significant portion of the state has gone three weeks without rain, which is causing a deficit in soil moisture. Its not too late to salvage the late-planted soybeans, but rainfall needs to return to the state with a few days or yields could be significantly impacted.