Soy sanitary vacuum will occur in 13 Brazilian states

The sanitary vacuum for soybeans began on Wednesday, 10th June, in Paraná. As of 15th June, this measure will extend to five other Brazilian states, which are Santa Catarina, São Paulo, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso and Rondônia. In Brazil, 13 states and the Federal District will adopt the sanitary vacuum, established by state regulations. Click  here  for the complete calendar of sanitary vacuum campaigns in Brazil and Paraguay. 

According to the Anti-Rust Consortium, this measure is one of the main strategies for managing the fungus, Phakopsora pachyrhizi, which causes Asian soybean rust, the most severe disease affecting soybean crops. During the 60-day sanitary vacuum, it is not possible to sow or keep live soy plants in the field. The measure aims to reduce the presence of the fungus that causes Asian rust during the off-season, therefore, minimizing the occurrence of the disease during the harvest. 

According to researcher Claudine Seixas from Embrapa Soja, the fungus that causes the disease needs live soy plants to develop and multiply. “Therefore, it is important for producers to eliminate voluntary soy plants, which are soy plants that are born spontaneously, in the off-season, to interrupt the fungus’ multiplication cycle and reduce the amount of spores present in the environment, delaying the onset of the disease during the harvest,” Seixas said.

Soy rust

The control of Asian soybean rust has an average cost of US$2.8 billion per harvest. In addition to the elimination of voluntary soy plants during the vacuum, Asian rust management strategies include the use of early cycle cultivars and sowing at the beginning of the recommended season, as well as the use of cultivars with genetic resistance, monitoring from the start of crop development, and the use of fungicides.

The original Portuguese version of this report is from GRUPO CULTIVAR.