Crop Tech Corner

The Latest on Aphid Resistance for Sorghum

Emily Unglesbee
By  Emily Unglesbee , DTN Staff Reporter
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Louisiana State University released the latest research on sorghum hybrids that show native resistance to the sugarcane aphid, the industry's newest pest. (DTN photo by Nick Scalise)

ROCKVILLE, Md. (DTN) -- This bi-monthly column condenses the latest news in the field of crop technology, research and products.

GET A LEG UP ON THE SUGARCANE APHID

The sugarcane aphid, which burst onto the sorghum scene in 2013, remains a top industry challenge this year, but growers now have some research on their side. Extension and university researchers have been hard at work testing sorghum varieties for native resistance to the aphid, which infested sorghum fields as far north as Kansas and as far east as the Carolinas last year. While no hybrid has proven fully resistant to the pest, Louisiana State University Extension has released the most current research on which hybrids demonstrate the most tolerance and what their expected availability in 2016 will be. See the guide here: http://bit.ly/….

After the EPA pulled the registration for Dow AgroSciences' Transform WG in 2015, sorghum growers will rely heavily on Bayer's Sivanto insecticide to control the sugarcane aphid this year. With its rapid asexual reproduction and heavy use of one insecticide, the aphid is likely to develop resistance to Sivanto in a year or two, University of Arkansas entomologist Gus Lorenz told DTN in a 2015 interview. As a result, picking hybrids that better tolerate the aphid's damage will be especially important this year.

For more information on managing the aphid, see a U.S. Sorghum Checkoff guide here: http://bit.ly/….

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THE SEARCH FOR SDS RESISTANCE

The search for good varietal resistance to sudden death syndrome (SDS) has become a priority for a team of Iowa State scientists. ISU soybean breeder Asheesh Singh and Jiaoping Zhang, a post-doctoral agronomy research associate at ISU, are leading a project to find the genetic mechanism that makes some soybean varieties more resistant to the SDS pathogen than others. The researchers recently published a paper with the results of a genetic analysis that allowed them to identify some genes they believe play a role in controlling SDS-resistance.

It's one victory within a bigger battle, Singh noted in an email to DTN. "Identification of genes is always beneficial to enhance genetic progress as it allows breeders to stack desirable traits to protect against important diseases," he wrote. "However, the breeding for SDS resistance will be incremental as (as far as I know) there is no magic bullet to control the resistance due to the nature of resistance." The researchers will start breeding soybeans while selecting for these identified genes, as well as run trials to ascertain that these genes play the role they've predicted. "Our research findings are open to the public," Singh added. "Farmers will see the benefits of this research if and as breeders start using the identified genes."

For more information, see the abstract of the researchers' published study here: http://bit.ly/….

GE BEANS AND MICROBES -- FRIENDS OR FOES?

Do genetically engineered (GE) crops affect the soil microbial communities they grow within? Few studies have addressed this issue, but new research from Brazil suggests they may not do much harm. The research was led by researchers from the Universidade Estadual de Maringa in Brazil and Embrapa Soja, the Brazilian government's agricultural research corporation. The scientists compared yields and soil properties between long-term field trials of Roundup Ready soybeans and non-GE equivalent varieties. In general, they found a good diversity of microbes and bacteria at all the sites, but interestingly, the soil where Roundup Ready soybeans were grown showed higher counts of soil organisms Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Chlorophyta. The Proteobacteria number is of special interest, since it can be a mark of superior soil fertility, the study's researchers noted. No significant differences in yield were discovered.

For more information, you can find the study abstract here: http://bit.ly/….

Emily Unglesbee can be reached at emily.unglesbee@dtn.com

Follow Emily Unglesbee on Twitter @Emily_Unglesbee

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Emily Unglesbee