BASF Recommendations for Management of Asian Soybean Rust

Careful planning and preparation are necessary as growers prepare for the possibility of Asian soybean rust developing in various parts of the country.

Based on years of first-hand experience, and as leading provider of fungicides, BASF recommends that growers take a preventative approach to managing the risk of Asian soybean rust. Therefore, the best strategy is to apply a fungicide preventatively to protect your crop.

Track Asian Soybean Rust

Research has proven that Asian soybean rust is a very difficult disease to scout and track, and a fungicide use decision is best made prior to visual disease symptoms, newly available technology has helped growers prepare for the evolution and spread of this disease. News and information about the spread and infestation of Asian soybean rust is readily available in real time from a computer or cell phone. Visit www.soybeanrustinfo.com to view a soybean rust mapping tool with information provided by Growth Stage® Consulting Inc. compliments of BASF. (Note: USDA data is also used to help track infestations and is represented in this map.)

Growers can also get updates on their cell phones through the Soybean Rust Voice Message Alert System which is part of SoyRAP® – the Soybean Rust Advisory Program of American Soybean Association and Doane. BASF is proud to be one of the top sponsors of this program. The voice message alert feature will deliver timely soybean rust alerts for local areas directly to the cell phone of subscribers (or other phone numbers if preferred).

Knowing where Asian soybean rust is present is the first step to making decisions about the best fungicide control program to use.

Know Your Control Program Options

When evaluating treatment options for control of Asian soybean rust, BASF recommends growers consider both rust control and yield protection of soybeans. Timing of the first application is critical. If growers wait until rust has been identified in a field, it will be very difficult to avoid yield losses.

That’s why BASF encourages growers to protect the investment they have already made in their soybean crop by applying Headline® fungicide for its Plant Health™ benefits, as well as preventative protection from Asian soybean rust. Headline is a strobilurin fungicide (pyraclostrobin) that provides preventative control and yield protection. It offers the longest lasting, most effective preventative soybean rust control available. When used as part of a crop management plan to achieve Plant Health in soybeans, Headline works to boost yields and economic return per acre by protecting the soybean crop from key diseases, including Asian soybean rust.

However, if Asian soybean rust has been detected or suspected in the area, growers should use Headline SBR fungicide in states that have granted a Section 18 exemption to the product. The fungicide is a co-pack which combines the research-proven benefits of Headline (pyraclostrobin) with a triazole (tebuconazole) for overall preventative and curative rust control.

Another BASF triazole, Caramba™, may be available for growers to use as an option for a second fungicide treatment should Asian soybean rust presence require it. Caramba has received some state Section 18 exemptions. States that have granted a section 18 label exemption for Caramba are listed on the BASF web site: www.soybeanrustinfo.com.

BASF is a reliable source for soybean rust solutions worldwide. In 2003, when a devastating Asian soybean rust outbreak occurred in Brazil, growers turned to BASF and pyraclostrobin, the active ingredient in Headline. Pyraclostrobin, used in combination with a triazol, was used to manage the disease situation and remains the top selling fungicide in Brazil today.

The following chart summarizes the BASF recommendations of when and why to apply Headline or Headline SBR.

Note:

• Be sure to follow recommended label rates.

• R2 soybeans= full bloom; R3 soybeans=beginning pod; R6=full seed, seeds fill pods at 1 of 4 uppermost nodes.

Retailers, crop consultants and/or applicators may make specific program recommendations different than those listed above based on a specific field situation – soybean type, stage of growth, weather conditions and disease threat.

Recommendations for Application Success

BASF research and field evaluations have confirmed that thorough canopy coverage and proper application timing are critical to optimal disease and yield protection. Growers are encouraged to read and follow label directions to achieve the best results.