The North American sentinel plot system, the safety net of American soybean producers, is being evaluated following reduced funding by USDA.
A coalition of university plant pathologists met with USDA and soybean checkoff staff at a meeting in Baton Rouge, La., to discuss the issue.
Due to government budget cuts, it appears the system will be revamped, beginning in January 2009, according to David Wright, NCSRP director of research. What does this mean to U.S. soybean growers? Soybean producers in the north may pay a price as funding for existing sentinel plots shifts to ensure satisfactory monitoring in the south. NCSRP partner states may be asked for additional funding to help support the system, which includes weekly sampling and diagnostics, the Web site (www.sbrusa.net) and computer modeling to predict spore movement.
NCSRP and USB will consider all options at the December board meeting.
“Our biggest concern is to assure that soybean producers have an effective system for monitoring the spread of soybean rust throughout the United States,” says Jerry Wyse, NCSRP board president and a soybean producer from Kansas. “We will work with USDA to encourage long term funding and maintenance of the sentinel plot system by USDA/CREES."
Wright adds that the sentinel plot system has evolved into a program that currently monitors the location and severity of soybean aphids and may expand to other diseases and pests of high value crops. If the funding can be found to maintain the system it will serve as the foundation of a crop biosecurity network for producers across the United States.
