Search
Better Farming OntarioBetter PorkBetter Farming Prairies

Better Farming Ontario Featured Articles

Better Farming Ontario magazine is published 11 times per year. After each edition is published, we share featured articles online.


Researchers' unusual discovery could help control soybean root rot

Monday, January 28, 2013

by DIANNE FETTERLY

An unusual discovery by a team of researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Southern Crop Protection and Food Research Centre may lead to better control of soybean root rot.

The scientists found that a pathogen responsible for soybean root rot breaks the genetic law that determines how characteristics are passed down through inheritance. The pathogen has figured out how to defeat most of the major resistance genes in the soybean plant therefore allowing the root rot, a fungus, to attack the plant.

 “We are pretty excited  because (the discovery) goes against the normal laws of genetics,” explained researcher Dr. Mark Gijzen. As a way to explain the discovery, he compared the pathogen's unusual behavior to that of human genetics, where in rare cases, both brown-eyed parents can produce a blue-eyed child.

While researchers still don't know how the pathogen manages to slip past the soybean plant's defenses, knowing that it behaves this way could lead to more options for growers battling the disease on their farms. “We are now trying to understand how the pathogen is able to beat soybean resistance and adapt. It could have broad implications for the industry in helping to create a better method of controlling root rot disease,” Gijzen said.

The pathogens responsible for root rot disease survive in the soil as spores. High moisture germinates the spores allowing them to affect the plant's roots. Root rot tends to thrive in soybeans grown in heavy clay or wet soils as well as heavily compacted soils and crops planted to no-till. Selecting seed varieties treated with fungicides will help combat the disease. Also, good management practices, such as crop rotation and reducing plant stress by avoiding low, wet fields can help keep root rot in check.

It took scientists at the centre about four years to make the discovery but Gijzen has spent nearly 20 years working on root rot research. He said this new knowledge can be used immediately by seed companies to help determine which fungicides work best in seed treatments; crop testing facilities; and other researchers to create more resistant varieties. It can even be applied to other crops, such as potatoes, since soybean root rot and potato blight organisms are fairly similar.

According to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, root rot is considered to be one of the most destructive diseases of soybeans in Ontario. Agriculture Canada estimates national annual production losses from the disease at $40-$50 million.

Gijzen's research was recently published in the online journal, Nature Communications. BF

Current Issue

April 2025

Better Farming Magazine

Farms.com Breaking News

Lynmark Farms named Master Breeder for 2025

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

The Canadian Milking Shorthorn Society has announced that Lynmark Farms has been named as a herd for 2025. Lynmark Farms is owned and operated by Tim Shearer and Irene Vietinghoff of Norwood, Ontario. They are the third Milking Shorthorn herd to be recognized as a since this... Read this article online

Ontario Mega Farm Faces Market Chill

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

A large working farm in Ontario, one of the province’s biggest on the market, is facing difficulties finding a buyer. Listed at $72.1 million, the 2,300-acre property is located near Lake Erie in Elgin County, spanning both Malahide Township and Central Elgin. Despite its prime agricultural... Read this article online

It’s been a while…

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

The International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM) is coming to the Niagara Region this fall, providing a unique opportunity to showcase the community’s agricultural diversity and natural beauty. The annual event is hosted in a different community each year, with this year’s... Read this article online

BF logo

It's farming. And it's better.

 

a Farms.com Company

Subscriptions

Subscriber inquiries, change of address, or USA and international orders, please email: subscriptions@betterfarming.com or call 888-248-4893 x 281.


Article Ideas & Media Releases

Have a story idea or media release? If you want coverage of an ag issue, trend, or company news, please email us.

Follow us on Social Media

 

Sign up to a Farms.com Newsletter

 

DisclaimerPrivacy Policy2025 ©AgMedia Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Back To Top