Soybeans currently are Brazil’s most important crop. Their production makes an important contribution to the Brazilian economy: Soybeans are becoming a fundamental generator of wealth and this crop is seen as an opportunity to develop several regions of the country. According to the national supply company CONAB, the area under soybean cultivation in the 2007/2008 season was more than 21 million hectares. The country’s total production has risen to nearly 60 million tonnes, making Brazil the second largest producer of this grain in the world. However, the economic viability of the soybean crop has been put to the test during recent harvests. The devaluation of the Brazilian Real and significant increases in production costs have increasingly put farmers under pressure.
Among the main factors reducing productivity are certain diseases. The most important of these is Asian rust (Phakopsora pachyrhizi). Considered the worst disease of soybeans worldwide, Asian rust originates from the East (Japan), and has traditionally been present in most Asian countries and Australia. However, since 1994 it has spread to Africa and the American continent, reaching Brazil in 2001. Today, the disease is present in every one of Brazil’s soybean cultivating areas.
Asian rust costs farmers big money
The importance of Asian rust in Brazil can be understood by considering its rapid spread, its virulence, and the significant amount of damage it causes. In 2006/07, the cost of grain losses plus the cost of control measures amounted to US$ 2.2 billion. Each year, its severity increases in the regions in which the conditions are favourable for outbreaks. Despite the reduction in the price of most fungicides, the overall cost of control has risen, because of the increasing number of applications that are needed.
Since the first outbreaks in Brazil, there have been growing numbers of complaints concerning reduced efficacy of control and the lower residual duration of some fungicides. Sequential applications are now being made at very short intervals of between seven and 12 days, whereas the norm would be something around 21 days. There are a number of causes contributing to deficiency of control, some of which are home-made while others are beyond the control of farmers.
Atento is part of the solution
Recognizing this situation, Bayer CropScience developed a new solution for the control of Asian rust specifically for Brazil. AtentoŽ is the first-ever seed treatment product available for combating this devastating disease. Fluquinconazole, the active substance in Atento, has systemic and residual activity, so it is able to protect the crop’s lower leaves, thus delaying the development of the rust epidemic.
The seed-treatment supports the first spray applications, providing greater flexibility and security in situations where the producer does not always manage to apply foliar sprays at the right stage. Atento is used at a dose rate of 300 ml/100 kg seed, always in combination with a follow-up spray program, together with appropriate cultivation methods.
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