Research focuses on soybean disease

12012 Louisiana Soybean & Grain Research & Promotion Board Report

Soybean pocket field guide will be available this fall

Soybean producers must be able to identify and control existing and emerging weed, pest and disease issues for the Louisiana soybean industry to remain viable.

To help with that issue, the Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board funded the development of a field guide covering soybean weed, pest and disease identification. The guide will be a full-color booklet

formatted to fit easily in a pocket so it can be carried into the field to help identify soybean problems.

The guide focuses on the top weed, pest and disease issues and includes images and basic information to help a producer or crop consultant identify the problem. In addition, it includes material about emerging issues such as herbicide resistance and directions on how to find more information on the LSU AgCenter’s website, LSUAgCenter.com.

The 100-page booklet will be 3.5 by 5 inches with a spiral-coil binding for ease of opening. The paper will be a thick stock with an aqueous coating so the booklet will hold up to the wear and tear of field use. The guide will also be available in an ebook format for use on mobile devices.

This guide will be available for distribu-tion to producers, industry leaders and other decision makers in November 2012. Production of the guide is being coordinated by LSU AgCenter Commu-nications and LSU AgCenter weed, pest and disease research and extension faculty members. –Frankie Gould

Researchers in the LSU AgCen-ter are screening soybean varieties for resistance to Cercospora leaf blight, the No. 1 disease affecting Louisiana soybeans. Plant pathologists estimate it can reduce soybean yields by 10 to 15 percent.

The foliar disease can remain la-tent in soybean plants for several weeks before they show symptoms, according to LSU AgCenter plant pathologist Ray Schneider.

“In severe cases the disease can cause defoliation, and it is associated with the green stem disorder,” Schnei-der said. “In these situations, yield losses may approach 50 percent.”

The disease has become a problem in Louisiana only in the past five to 10 years, said Zhi-Yuan Chen, an LSU AgCenter researcher. In effect, it’s a relatively new disease with a lot of questions still unanswered.

As part of the search for answers, Chen and researcher Blair Buckley are searching for soybean plants that show resistance to Cercospora.

Buckley leads the AgCenter soybean breeding program at the Red River Research Station in Bossier City, focusing on screening varieties to look for soybean lines with resistance to Cercospora leaf blight. Disease-resis-tant varieties would reduce the need for fungicides.

The researchers evaluate breed-ing lines for disease resistance in each generation, but “lines with complete resistance to the disease have not yet been identified,” Buckley said.

Current lines with the most re-sistance don’t have any apparent yield

Research focuses on soybean disease

loss, decrease in seed quality or pre-mature defoliation, he said. “Disease symptoms in these lines consistently develop at a later stage of growth than in highly susceptible lines.”

In 2011, the researchers planted 20 varieties at the Red River Research Station and the Ben Hur farm on the AgCenter Central Research Station in Baton Rouge. They collected leaf samples and analyzed them for patho-gen growth, Chen said.

“The data from this field study showed a strong environmental effect on the disease development,” Chen said. “The same soybean varieties that showed severe Cercospora leaf blight

symptoms in Ben Hur developed barely visible symptoms at Red River.”

The researchers also documented uncovered a high variation in the dis-ease development in one variety in four replicated plots in the same location in the late stage of soybean growth. Sev-eral varieties, however, showed consis-tent low pathogen growth compared with the others. “These varieties are planted again this year at Ben Hur to evaluate their resistance to Cercospora leaf blight under field conditions,” Chen said. “Identifying soybean variet-ies with resistance to the pathogen is the first step in developing Cercospora-resistant soybean varieties.”

Buckley said that a better under-standing of when infection occurs and how symptoms develop in moderately resistant lines versus highly susceptible lines will aid the effort to develop disease-resistant soybean varieties.

Of the many species of Cercospora fungus, the strain that attacks soybeans has been around for about 60 years in the United States and has become more of a problem over time.

The fungus survives in infected seeds and plant residue, and spores form on the residue surface during warm, humid weather, experts say. The spores are wind-blown or rain-splashed to new soybean tissue where infection occurs. Seeds also can carry the fungus.

Although the disease appears late in the season, infection starts long before symptoms appear and goes through an extended incubation period.

“You don’t see it, but it’s there,” Schneider said. “Once you see it, the damage is done. That’s why it’s be-come difficult to control.”

One thing AgCenter researchers have discovered, however, is that very early applications of fungicides, long before symptoms develop, provide a surprising level of disease control.

“Our research suggests that fungi-cide applications as early as first flower plus an additional application later in the season may be required for opti-mum disease management,” Schneider said. “It is important to apply these fungicides during the latent infection period rather than waiting until the appearance of first symptoms.”

“The practice should be an early application followed by a later applica-tion,” said AgCenter plant pathologist Boyd Padgett. “Even with two applica-tions, producers are finding this hard to manage.”

Results from an earlier AgCenter study of Asian soybean rust indicate certain soil nutrients may be related to decreased incidence and severity of soybean diseases, Schneider said.

“Analyses are still ongoing, but it appears that certain minor elements, including iron, zinc, molybdenum, boron and copper, affect disease development. We will be attempting to manage Cercospora leaf blight by applying these minerals in different concentrations and combinations,” Schneider said.

In addition, Chen and Schneider are creating a procedure to moni-tor the infection process. They have developed DNA probes that can reli-ably detect the presence of Cercospora pathogens in soybean plants one to two months before disease symptoms appear.

This early-detection method has allowed Schneider to work out a more effective fungicide treatment to control the disease by monitoring the presence of fungal DNA. –Rick Bogren

2011-12 funding for these projects: $159,855

2011-12 funding for this project: $21,450

On the InsideResearch focuses on soybean disease ........................................................................... 1Soybean pocket field guide will be available this fall .................................................... 1Corn ‘gene silencing’ under review for reducing aflatoxin ........................................... 2Fall armyworms developing Bt resistance .................................................................... 2Scientists try optical sensors to determine nitrogen rates in corn ................................. 3Researcher begins soil quality study in wheat-soybean double-crop system .................. 3Corn research examining fertility, nutrients ................................................................ 3Redbanded stink bug numbers rise in Louisiana soybean fields ................................... 4Farmer spearheads planter acquisition ........................................................................ 4Managing insect pests in soybeans and corn ............................................................... 5Disease control in wheat starts at seed selection .......................................................... 5Researcher exploring molecular biology to prevent soybean diseases ........................... 5Demonstration fields teach farmers how to improve yields .......................................... 6Corn weed control starts with clean fields .................................................................. 7New faces at the LSU AgCenter ................................................................................. 7Researchers keep an eye on herbicide-resistant weeds in soybeans ............................... 7Small grains research produces results ........................................................................ 8

Blair Buckley evaluates Cercospora leaf blight resistance in soybean varieties at the Red River Research Station in Bossier City. (Photo by Mary Ann Van Osdell)

2 2012 Louisiana Soybean & Grain Research & Promotion Board Report

Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board

From the Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board

Researchers across the country are collaborating on a project to reduce aflatoxin contamination in corn.

In additon to Louisiana checkoff funding, the project is supported by a one-year grant of $65,000 in corn checkoff money from the Southern states managed by the National Corn Growers Association. Known as the Aflatoxin Mitigation Center of Excel-lence, its purpose is to reduce aflatoxin contamination in corn through a host-induced gene-silencing project.

Among the researchers working on the project is Zhi-Yuan Chen of the LSU AgCenter Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology.

Under the project, Chen’s lab team is exploring a new strategy of us-ing genes from the fungus Aspergillus flavus to control aflatoxin.

“Currently, two of the fungal genes involved in breaking down corn starch and proteins for its own growth during infection have been put into a ‘molecular vessel’ to be transported into corn via genetic engineering,” Chen said.

That effort is in collaboration with Deepak Bhatnagar at the Southern Research Center of the U.S. Depart-ment of Agriculture’s Agricultural

The Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board administers the national checkoffs for soybeans and grain sorghum as well as Louisiana’s wheat and feed grains checkoff. The board focuses your checkoff dollars on projects that address Louisiana’s most important production and marketing issues.

Your checkoff dollars make it possible to fund continuing research that ad-dresses production problems faced in Louisiana. As federal and state funds be-come more limited, producer-generated funds are essential to providing public, production-related research.

This report describes some of the activities funded by your checkoff dollars. The majority of this effort is focused on addressing diseases, insects and other agronomic issues that adversely affect our yields. Specific projects are addressing aflatoxin in corn, better wheat and soybean varieties, insect and weed control in various crops, soybean diseases, and verification and demonstration projects that show the results of recommendations developed through research.

The board also is working with our counterparts in neighboring states on regional efforts to address some of the research needed to solve issues we all share. The Board is a member and funding research activities with both the Mid-South Soybean Board and the Aflatoxin Mitigation Center of Excellence (AMCOE).

We hope these efforts will stretch the funds available to address these issues and provide answers to some of the problems more quickly because of the coopera-tive research programs.

While research funding is the major focus of the board, market development activities are funded with the United Soybean Board, National Corn Growers Association and the U.S. Grains Council. At the national level, investments in foreign market development projects and new uses are paying off. We are fortunate to be experiencing strong demand from both traditional export and domestic markets.

Your checkoff dollars make these efforts possible. On behalf of the board, I would like to thank you for your support of these programs.

Sincerely,Raymond Schexnayder, ChairmanLouisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board

Jake Fountain, a graduate student in Zhi-Yuan Chen’s lab, uses a syringe to inoculate immature ears of African corn varieties with an Aspergillus flavus spore suspension at the LSU AgCenter Burden Research Center on July 2, 2012. The tests evaluate the corn lines’ aflatoxin resistance under Louisiana field conditions. (Photo by Zhi-Yuan Chen)

Farmers can plant Bt corn to get protection from fall armyworms, but LSU AgCenter entomologist Fang-neng Huang said populations of the pest in some areas have developed re-sistance to one type of transgenic corn.

Bt corn contains genes from a naturally occurring insecticide, the bac-terium Bacillus thuringiensis, which al-lows farmers to control pests such as the fall armyworm and the corn earworm.

“A field population of the fall army-worm was the first corn pest to develop resistance to Bt corn,” Huang said.

Resistance to one commonly used first-generation Bt corn product containing Cry1F protein was first documented in Puerto Rico where seed corn is planted.

“We plant seed corn in Puerto Rico because it can grow year round, but that means the insect can develop year round,” Huang said. “It devel-oped resistance in just three years after commercially planting Bt corn in Puerto Rico.”

The fall armyworm is one impor-tant pest of corn in the United States, including Louisiana. These caterpil-

FALL ARMYWORMSdeveloping Bt resistance

Corn ‘gene silencing’ under review for reducing aflatoxin

Research Service, Kan Wang at Iowa State University and Burton Bluhm at the University of Arkansas.

“Once the transgenic corn seeds are produced, they will be evaluated for their ability to suppress A. flavus growth and, in turn, to reduce aflatox-in production under laboratory condi-tions,” Chen said. “This may offer a new approach to combat this tough problem of aflatoxin contamination in corn that our growers are facing.”

In another related project funded by checkoffs from Louisiana growers, Chen’s research team is evaluating six aflatoxin-resistant African corn lines at the LSU AgCenter Burden Center for their resistance to the infection under Louisiana growing conditions. That ongoing project has been under way for the past three years.

“Two of the lines showed low afla-toxin contamination, which was similar to our resistant controls,” Chen said. “They currently are being evaluated for aflatoxin resistance under drought, a condition that is very conducive to aflatoxin contamination in corn.” –Tom Merrill

lar pests feed on the vegetation and immature grain of corn. Huang is studying fall armyworms to evaluate the susceptibility of the pest to second-generation Bt corn.

Second-generation transgenic corn containing pyramided Bt genes offers better protection from fall armyworms. Huang has collected armyworms from two sites in Louisiana, one in southern Florida and another in southern Texas.

“We suspect because it migrates, it moved from Puerto Rico to the east-ern United States, and we could see some resistance in U.S. populations, especially in southern Florida,” Huang said of the armyworm.

The entomologist is looking at the frequency of Bt resistance in fall ar-myworms from each area. He is seeing much higher frequency of resistance in the Florida population than in those from Louisiana and Texas. He is using the resistant armyworms to evaluate new Bt corn to identify products that can overcome the resistance.

“We evaluate the resistant popula-tion against our new Bt corn,” Huang said. “Their resistant population cannot survive on some of the new generation Bt corn products.”

The long-term project started two years ago. –Tobie Blanchard

Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board members are: Front row, left to right, Joey Olivier, Raymond Schexnayder Jr. and Charles Cannatella. Back row, left to right, Carlos Polotzola, Robert Thevis, Leo Franchebois, Thomas Ater. Members not pictured are J. K. Bordelon, Darrell Vandeven and Jerry Hunter. (Photo by John Wozniak)

RAYMOND S. SCHEXNAYDER JR., Chairman Home (225) 638-77707614 Cooks Landing Cell (225) 718-4583 Ventress, LA 70783 Work (225) 627-6806 [email protected]

J.K. BORDELON, Vice-Chairman Home (318) 985-24512528 Hwy. 451 Cell (318) 359-2222Moreauville, LA 71355 [email protected]

CHARLES J. CANNATELLA, Secretary-Treasurer Home (337) 623-520013803 Hwy. 105 Cell (337) 207-4730Melville, LA 71353 [email protected]

LEO FRANCHEBOIS Home (337) 948-4365 361 Sugar Mill Rd. Cell (337) 331-3341Opelousas, LA 70570 [email protected]

CARLOS POLOTZOLA Home (337) 566-3754 421 Atkin Bayou Rd Cell (337) 789-7298Melville, LA 71353 [email protected]

THOMAS ATER 693 Hwy 569 Cell (601) 807-1914 Ferriday, LA 71334 [email protected]

JERRY D. HUNTER Home (318) 878-55975457 Hwy. 17 Cell (318) 557-6828Delhi, LA 71232 [email protected]

JOEY OLIVIER Home (337) 879-2827 2056 Hwy. 31 Cell (337) 945-3606Arnaudville, LA 70512 Work (337) 945-3606 [email protected]

DARRELL J. VANDEVEN Home (318) 766-4646174 Vandeven Road Office (318) 766-4963St. Joseph, LA 71366 Cell (318) [email protected] ROBERT THEVIS Home (318) 941-2515661 Hwy. 1183 Cell (318) 240-0478Simmesport, LA 71369 [email protected]

KYLE L. MCCANN, Executive DirectorPO Box 95004Baton Rouge, LA 70895-9004Office (225) 922-6209 Fax (225) 922-6229 Cell (225) [email protected]




LSU AgCenter scientists are looking at new technology for determining nitrogen rates in corn involving an optical sensor reading approach based upon vegetative data.

“This is a good time because the corn plant stand is established with vegetation not so thick to reach canopy closure,” said Brenda Tubaña, an assis-tant professor in the School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences in Baton Rouge.

The brand name for the sensor is GreenSeeker, and the approach is a sensor-based nitrogen manage-ment system that looks at the plant during the V8

Scientists try optical sensors to determine nitrogen rates in corn

or eight-leaf stage. Tubaña places four sensors across the arms of a spray rig that cover a 30-foot swath across the field.

“The sensors give an instantaneous reading. This reading is then used to determine the amount of nitrogen that can be dribbled or injected into the ground,” she said.

The reading is called the normalized differ-ence vegetative index (NDVI). The NDVI is then plugged into an equation used to determine the amount of nitrogen needed in the second application.

“The equation changes slightly as more infor-mation is gathered,” Tubaña said.

Tubaña is comparing this approach with two more traditional ways to determine nitrogen rates: the farmer’s standard rate of nitrogen based on the farmer’s perception of potential need (yield-goal approach) and the recommended amount of nitrogen based upon a soil nitrate sample.

This year, with as-sistance from Madison Parish extension agent R.L. Frazier and Tensas extension agent Dennis Burns, Tubaña was able to put all three methods to the test in corn fields located near Tallulah and Epps.

Corn research examining fertility, nutrients

Soil types can be an issue for corn fertility. A soil type can influence the amount of nitrogen needed to produce a crop or help determine the type of nitrogen fertilizer used. It also may be a factor in contributing to deficiencies in other nutrients, such as zinc or phosphorus.

LSU AgCenter scientists are conducting a series of experiments across the state to answer some of the most pressing issues related to corn fertility and soil type. They’re using test plots to study how different soil types affect fertility and what remedies can be applied to solve them. They’re examining the source of N and the timing of the application to help deter-mine the best form and time to apply. Also, efforts are being made to determine the optimum rate of N for a particular soil.

Taking the lead in these trials is Rick Mascagni, an agronomist at the Northeast Research Station in St. Joseph. He has conducted corn fertility studies on various soil types primarily in northeast Louisiana.

Much of the focus Mascagni’s research centers on the role of N fertilization. Researchers looked at the source of N, timing of the application and the amount applied. When examining a single applica-tion of N sources on Commerce silt loam soil, a nitrogen solution of 30-0-0-2 was equal to a com-bination of granular urea and Agrotain with both producing higher yields than granular urea alone.

“It appeared that loss of nitrogen through vola-tilization occurred with the urea fertilizer, which is not unexpected,” Mascagni said.

When comparing N applied late in the season, at the 12-leaf stage and at early silk, yields were slightly higher for the early-silk application. This finding showed that if farmers are unable to get in a second application earlier in the season, corn yields will respond to N as late as early silk. Mascagni added yields were similar when equivalent N rates were applied either once early season (2- or 3-leaf stage) or split between early season and the 12-leaf or early-silk growth stages.

Another study conducted on Sharkey clay soils in northeast Louisiana produced similar findings. A late application of 60 pounds of N per acre increased yields at both the 12-leaf and early-silk stages. In a Commerce silt loam study, yields were not differ-

Theo Udeigwe, LSU AgCenter agronomist, is in his first year of studying the effects of different wheat residue and stubble management techniques on soil quality and soybean yield in a wheat-soybean doubl- crop system.

Previous studies concentrated on the effects of wheat stubble management on soybean yield with less attention given to the possible long-term effects of these practices on soil quality, Udeigwe said. This is a topic of interest because alterations in soil surface covers could have a pronounced effect on soil fertil-ity and productivity.

Udeigwe said burning post-harvest residue and stubble, although associated with air and soil quality

LSU AgCenter county agents R.L. Frazier and Dennis Burns apply fertilizer to a corn field near Epps, La., based upon vegetative readings supplied by GreenSeeker sensors located on the spray rig. The sensors record how much vegetation is present, and the amount of fertilizer is adjusted based upon this reading. (Photo by Brenda Tubaña)

Brenda Tubaña, an LSU AgCenter assistant professor in the School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences, adjusts sensors used to measure the amount of vegetation in a corn field. The instantaneous reading is sent to a computer that then determines the appropriate amount of fertilizer to apply while a spray rig travels through the field. (Photo by Craig Gautreaux)

Researcher begins soil quality study in wheat-soybean double-crop system

impairment, is the most commonly used technique because it results in a better seedbed to accom-modate germination. But, he said, his research at the Northeast Research Station near St. Joseph will consider the long-range effects of the different residue-management techniques.

After wheat was harvested, he planted soybeans into four test plots – burned, tilled, mowed and left as standing stubble.

“I wanted to look at what happens in the long run,” Udeigwe said. “What is the effect on the soil quality indicators for each practice?”

It seems logical that burning stubble will re-duce nutrients and organic matter, but the research

will quantify the lost amounts among the various manage-ment techniques under study, Udeigwe said. He needs to con-duct the study for three to four years to obtain a clear picture of results.

Soybeans, the most widely grown crop in Louisiana, can be planted into a harvested wheat field to make efficient use of the land. Farmers planted 208,000 acres of wheat in Louisiana in 2011 and 1 million acres of soybeans, according to the LSU AgCenter Ag Summary. –Bruce Schultz

Theo Udeigwe, LSU AgCenter agronomist, examines soybeans in a research plot where he is studying the effects of different wheat stubble and residue management systems at the Northeast Research Station. (Photo by Bruce Schultz)

“I’m excited to see what will be the outcome in a farmer’s field. It will provide us with some real answers,” Tubaña said.

Tubaña continues to conduct research on zinc deficiency in alluvial soils with John Kruse, state ex-tension specialist for corn and cotton stationed at the Dean Lee Research Station in Alexandria.

Compounding the zinc deficiency problem is that some soils have a buildup of phosphorus from previous seasons of corn production that inhibits the absorption of zinc.

Tubaña has had success increasing corn yields in Red River alluvial soils. She has found that adding 2.5 to 5 pounds of zinc per acre to soils that contain 2 parts per million or less of zinc made a significant impact on yields.

In a Bossier Parish trial, yields increased 20 per-cent. In Rapides Parish near the town of Cheneyville, she had a greater success with yields increasing nearly 30 percent. –Craig Gautreaux




ent between equivalent N rates applied once early season or split between either the 12-leaf or early-silk growth stages.

A successful fertility program can have many benefits. By optimizing the amount of N needed to grow a crop, producers get higher yields and maxi-mize their crop inputs. They also enjoy environmen-tal benefits, such as reduced runoff of nitrates into ground and surface water.

A key component of any fertility program

involves a standard soil test, which gives a clearer picture of the soil conditions the crop will be grown and remedies that should be undertaken. Research-ers with the AgCenter will continue to find the an-swers to fertility issues through producer-supported research projects. –Craig Gautreaux


present, damage is minimal because they just don’t feed on these plants as much,” he said.

This strategy also helps to keep insecticide ap-plications low. “For instance, we may need to make two to three applications in susceptible varieties, but only need one to two in resistant fields,” Davis said.

Biological control is also useful in managing the stink bug populations.

“Here is where we use natural enemies like fire ants to control pest in-sects,” he said. “There are also native parasitoid wasps that do a good job, but they are highly susceptible to our pyrethroid insecticides.”

This year the redband-ed stink bug came earlier than usual. Davis started getting questions from farmers in early May.

“I usually don’t get questions before late June or July,” Davis said.

A problem facing Davis is how to implement management strategies without killing beneficial insects.

“When plants are damaged, they signal to beneficial insects that their help is needed,” Davis said. “However, the insecticides we use to kill insect pests also kill the beneficial insects.”

The goal of the insect management program is to reduce the number of insecticide applications, reduce the effect on the environment, and keep the grower’s cost down. –Johnny Morgan

Farmer Travis Walker of Crowville saw a need for a new research planter as corn seedlings emerged on research plots planted at his farm. Some of the young plants were only an inch or two apart, while others had several inches of spacing.

Walker knew that inconsistency in the small plots prevented research-ers from getting an accurate picture of varieties’ performance. “You need as accurate spacing as you can obtain to get good research results,” Walker said.

If plants are spaced too closely, they compete for water, light and nutrients. The minimum spacing is roughly 5 inches, according to LSU AgCenter corn specialist John Kruse.

Walker did some research and found a twin-finger pickup planter from Kincaid Equipment in Kansas. “This planter should be within 96 to 97 percent accurate,” he said. It will plant four rows of seeds simultane-ously.

Walker made it his mission to obtain the funds, Kruse said, roughly $30,000, to buy the planter and the needed equipment for it.

“He really spearheaded an effort to raise the money from private individuals,” Kruse said. “He went around the state to request money for this piece of equipment.”

Kruse expects the planter should be fine-tuned and ready for next year’s planting. –Bruce Schultz

For the past several years, stink bug numbers have been fairly low in Louisiana soybeans, but this year they are much higher, according to LSU Ag-Center entomologist Jeff Davis.

The main culprit, the redbanded stink bug, if left unchecked, can cause damage so extensive that farmers may lose an entire field of beans, Davis said.

“This is very costly to growers when soybeans are selling at nearly $16 per bushel, with the state production average at 35 bushels per acre,” Davis said.

That could mean a loss of nearly $60,000 for a farmer who loses a 100-acre field to this pest.

For nearly three years, Davis has been studying ways to control stink bugs. His research has shown that there’s more than one way to gain control of the damaging redbanded stink bug in soybeans. That’s the thinking behind multiple management strategies in Louisiana fields.

Davis has been looking at four main ways to control stink bugs in trials across the state – insecti-cides, host-plant resistance, biological controls, and timing of insecticide applications.

“Typically, the first tactic is go out and count the number of insects,” Davis said. “Once that number

Redbanded stink bug numbers rise in Louisiana soybean fields

reaches the action threshold, growers will make an insecticide application.”

Scouting for insects involves using a sweep net and then counting how many insects are captured in the net. The action threshold is the point where in-sect populations are high enough to warrant the cost of an insecticide application to prevent significant crop losses.

“Insecticides are our first line of defense, but we have to put out so much here in Louisiana,” he said. “The LSU AgCenter recommends three to five ap-plications per year for insect control in soybean. And this year we’ll probably use them all.”

Another strategy used in the control of the redbanded stink bug is host-plant resistance. Here Davis looks for varieties that have natural resistance for stink bugs.

“What this means is in these fields, stink bug populations are kept low. And even when they are

The redbanded stink bug.

LSU AgCenter entomologist Jeff Davis uses a sweep net to determine the number and types of insects present in soybean fields. His research is looking at four main ways to control stink bugs in trials across the state. They are: insecticides, host plant resistance, biological controls and timing of insecticide applications. (Photo by Johnny Morgan)



Farmer spearheads planter acquisition

Travis Walker, of Crowville, explains how the mechanism works in a research planter he obtained for the LSU AgCenter. Walker said the planter that had been used for corn research plots was too in-consistent, leaving large gaps between seeds. This planter has a much higher probability of planting seeds within the agronomically optimal plant spacing of one plant every 4-6 inches, depending on the desired seed population. (Photo by Bruce Schultz)


An uncommon pest showing up in Louisiana soybean fields is not yet much of a problem for farmers but is causing concern for LSU AgCenter entomologists.

It’s the soybean podworm, the same pest that’s called the corn earworm in corn fields or bollworm in cotton fields, said LSU AgCenter entomologist David Kerns.

“They can show up almost any time from newly emerged seedlings to those in later reproductive stages,” Kerns said of the podworm. “But it is primarily a flower, pod and seed feeder.”

The pest generally avoids feed-ing on leaves and attacks the fruiting structures. The result in a soybean field can be empty pods and accompanying yield reductions, he said.

“It is becoming more common with increasing soybean acreage,” Kerns said.

Kerns is working collaboratively with scientists in Mississippi and Arkansas to learn more about the soybean podworm and establish action thresholds for treating for the pest when it appears.

In other soybean work, Kerns is participating in a study to evalu-ate new soybean varieties that express Bt proteins and are resistant to some foliage-feeding caterpillars.

“This technology is in the stages of early development,” Kerns said.

Bt corn is on Kerns’ radar with the advent of “refuge-in-the-bag” seed. Some seed companies have received registration from the Environmental Protection Agency to mix non-Bt corn with Bt corn in the same bag. So, in-stead of having to plant a separate area of the field to a refuge non-Bt crop, this “refuge” is randomly scattered among Bt corn plants, Kerns said.

In this system a small portion of the plants – generally about five per-cent – are non-Bt. This allows farmers to comply with insect resistance manage-ment guidelines without having to plant blocks of non-Bt corn on their farms.

Current EPA policy requires corn

Managing insect pests in soybeans and corn

While wheat diseases were minimal this past year, they can become prob-lematic under certain conditions. For-tunately for farmers there are options available when diseases strike, accord-ing to Boyd Padgett, LSU AgCenter plant pathologist.

The best tool available for growers starts well before the first seed goes into the ground, and that is a variety with disease resistance.

“Choosing a high-yielding, disease-resistant variety is the first and best line of defense against wheat diseases,” Padgett said.

Disease control in wheat starts at seed selectionIt is important to have a backup

plan if the first line of defense fails. Padgett and other plant pathologists in the AgCenter continue to examine and evaluate fungicides as a second line of defense. The scientists also are investi-gating whether pathogens, the organ-isms that cause diseases, are developing resistance to fungicides.

According to Padgett, many of the older fungicides are still effective and are cheaper than the newer fungicides.

“The newer fungicides are fairly expensive, but they may be advan-tageous when disease pressure is extremely high,” Padgett said.

LSU AgCenter researcher Zhi-Yuan Chen and his team are continu-ing their work using molecular biology to develop soybean plants’ resistance to Cercospora leaf blight and rust diseases.

As part of the project funded by the Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board, Chen and his team in the LSU AgCenter Department of Plant Pathology and Crop Physiology are looking at novel approaches such as using a common soybean virus to suppress the produc-tion of genes in soybean lines and are working to develop a better under-standing of how plants are infected with the diseases.

The researcher’s progress dur-ing the past year includes work with previously identified proteins that are induced when soybeans are infected with rust.

Mala Ganiger, a doctoral student working in Chen’s lab, is working on

Graduate students Mala Ganiger, foreground, and Ashok Chanda, background, learn how to introduce modified genes and test their functions in soybean resistance to rust and Cercospora diseases under the direction of visiting scientist Dr. Chris Zhang in the LSU AgCenter laboratory of Zhi-Yuan Chen. (Photo by Zhi-Yuan Chen)

Researcher exploring molecular biology to prevent soybean diseases



2011-12 funding for thIs project: $54,500

Farmers can protect themselves by booking their seed as soon as possible, which for many is as early as July. If disease-resistant varieties are in short supply, growers may be forced to grow more susceptible vari-eties. In these instances, Padgett said producers need to be more vigilant in scouting their fields for the pres-ence of diseases.

This year’s wheat harvest was somewhat disappointing with state-wide yields averaging fewer than 50 bushels per acre, which was below last year’s average of 54 bushels per acre. Experts believe that the dry conditions encountered during the planting season, the warm and wet conditions of winter and early spring, and the extremely warm late spring led to less than ideal growing condi-tions. Many of the grains of wheat did not completely fill, causing yields to suffer.

The atypical weather during the winter and spring resulted in iso-lated incidences of two diseases not normally seen in Louisiana. Septoria leaf blotch and bacterial streak were reported in a few fields, but both arrived late in the season causing little to no yield loss. Padgett recom-mends farmers not leave much straw in fields because fungi that cause diseases, such as Septoria, overwinter there. –Craig Gautreaux

a novel virus-induced gene-silencing strategy, according to Chen. Some of the previously identified proteins induced by rust infection have been found to also be required for soybean resistance using that approach.

“When the production of these proteins is reduced, a resistant soybean line starts to develop rust disease symptoms when infected,” he said.

Chen’s lab currently is developing ways to increase production of these proteins in soybean lines as a strategy to suppress rust disease.

At the same time, Chen’s team also has been working diligently to understand more about how soybean plants are infected by Cercospora ki-kuchii, the causal agent of Cercospora leaf blight, which is now the No. 1 soybean disease in Louisiana.

Several genes have been isolated from the fungus by Ashok Chanda, a doctoral student jointly advised by Ray Schneider and Chen.

“These genes are involved in making the cercosporin toxin when infecting soybeans,” Chen explained. “The toxin can make soybeans more susceptible to the infection.”

Chen’s lab is testing whether sup-pressing the production of this toxin

can reduce the disease development in soybeans. –Tom Merrill

LSU AgCenter plant pathologist Boyd Padgett describes his research with wheat diseases dur-ing a wheat and oats field day at the LSU AgCenter Macon Ridge Research Station on April 11, 2012. (Photo by Rick Bogren)

growers to maintain a percentage of their production acres in non-Bt corn. The corn stalk-boring insects and corn rootworms that feed in those non-Bt plants will maintain susceptibility to Bt. Then, when they mate with insects that survived feeding on Bt corn, the offspring will maintain genetic suscep-tibility to Bt.

He’s investigating how effective the refuge-in-a-bag corn concept is in Louisiana.

Spider mites have become a new pest of corn in Louisiana, Kerns said. “We don’t know the damage potential

of this pest, and we haven’t developed any control tactics.”

He’s evaluating miticides as well as the interaction between corn fungi-cides and spider mites.

Spider mite populations can be suppressed naturally by certain fungi, Kerns said. But using fungicides for disease management in corn may sup-press those fungi that infect and kill spider mites.

“Those beneficial fungi could be taken out of the picture if they’re eliminated as a result of controlling other plant disease fungi,” he said.

Kerns also is evaluating the economic benefits of controlling ear-worms in corn. It’s possible, he said, that allowing some earworm damage may be more cost-effective than apply-ing a pesticide.

“We want to see how much yield increase we get by controlling corn earworms that mainly feed on the tips of the ears,” he said. –Rick Bogren


The Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research and Promotion Board funded these projects in various LSU AgCenter departments, research stations and regions this year. Projects list the research leaders, total funding and the portions allocated from soybean, corn/wheat or grain sorghum checkoff funds.

2012-2013 projects funded by the Louisiana Soybean and Grain Board

Total 2012-2013 Funding: $1,131,120

Demonstration projects across the state are showing farmers how corn and soybeans varieties perform in their area, and how different farming prac-tices could benefit their operations.

John Kruse, LSU AgCenter corn specialist, said the intent of the demonstration program is to grow plots statewide, using most of the same varieties to allow an evaluation of performance on different soils and in different climates.

“Growers want to see how variet-ies will perform in their own back-yards,” Kruse said.

The plots are planted and harvest-ed by farmers, he said. “We’ll record the data at planting and harvest.”

Ron Levy, LSU AgCenter soybean specialist, said the 60 “core block” demonstrations, as they are called, are scattered across the state “from Lafourche Parish all the way up to West and East Carroll parishes.” The demonstrations show the differences in varieties and agricultural practices. “We give farmers a firsthand view of how different research-based practices work at their locations,” Levy said.

For example, Levy demonstrated the effectiveness of several pre-emerge herbicides at a farm run by Joey Ol-ivier near Henderson. In Concordia Parish, Levy and former County Agent Glenn Daniels demonstrated that varieties have different levels of suscep-tibility to salt damage from irrigation water high in salt.

Levy said farmers are most inter-ested in variety core blocks because they can see how a wide spectrum of new varieties would perform in their farming operations. The LSU AgCen-

ter sponsors field days at these farm locations, allowing other producers in the locale to see the varieties and decide if they have characteristics that would enhance their soybean produc-tion.

Other soybean demonstrations have included seeding rates, row spac-ing, date of planting, insecticides and fungicides.

Levy said most of the demonstra-tion projects are initiated by county

Demonstration fields teach farmers how to improve yields

Biological and Agricultural EngineeringPesticide Application Efficiency and Drift Potential

from Aerial and Ground Sprayers. Dr. Dan Hayes, $10,500 (soybean).

Electrically-Charged Fungicide Adjuvant. Dr. Christina Sablinov, $26,000 (soybean).

Communications2012 Louisiana Soybean and Grain Research Report.

Frances Gould, $6,500 ($4,500 soybean, $1,000 corn/wheat, and $1,000 grain sorghum).

2012 Pocket Field Guide for Soybean Weed, Pest and Disease Identification, Frances Gould, $21,450 (soybean).

EntomologyBiology, Distribution and Management of Soybean

Insect Pests. Dr. Jeff Davis, $52,000 (soybean).Biology, Distribution and Management of Soybean

Insect Pests. Dr. Jeff Davis, $26,000 (soybean).Emerging Insect Pest Problems in Field Corn and Grain

Sorghum. Dr. Fangneng Huang, $19,500 ($16,300 corn/wheat and $3,200 grain sorghum).

School of Plant, Environmental and Soil SciencesWeed Management and Biology Research in Soybeans.

Dr. Jim Griffin, $40,000 (soybean).Small Grain Breeding, Variety Development and Test-

ing. Dr. Steve Harrison, $72,000 (corn/wheat).Calibrating Soil Tests and Fertilization for Soybean and

Grain Crop Production – $28,668, Dr. Brenda Tubana, $22,668 and Dr. Josh Lofton, $6,000 (soybean).

Calibrating Soil Tests and Fertilization for Soybean and Grain Crop Production – $ 36,668, Dr. Brenda Tubana, $16,668, Dr. John Kruse, $6,000, Dr. Theo Udeigwe, $3,000, Dennis Burns, $3,000, J Stevens, $2,000 and Dr. H. Mascagni, $6,000 (corn/wheat).

Plant Pathology and Crop PhysiologyUsing Molecular Biology to Control Soybean Diseases:

Cercospora Leaf Blight and Rust. Dr. Zhi-Yuan Chen, $54,500 (soybean).

Reducing Aflatoxin in Corn. Dr. Zhi-Yuan Chen, $25,000 (corn/wheat).

Cercospora Leaf Blight Disease of Soybean Variety Differ-ences, Environmental Effects, and Source of Inocu-lum. Dr. Zhi-Yuan Chen, $27,000 (soybean).

Cercospora Leaf Blight Disease of Soybean Variety Differ-ences, Environmental Effects, and Source of Inocu-lum. Dr. Blair Buckley, $5,000 (soybean).

Managing Mycotoxin Contamination in Louisiana Corn – Biological Control. Dr. Kenneth Damann, $25,000 (corn/wheat).

Measuring Yield Losses Due to Diseases of Soybeans. Dr. Clayton Hollier, $21,000 (soybean).

Soybean Disease (Including Rust) Sentinel Plot Scouting Program. Dr. Clayton Hollier, $27,500 (soybean).

Biology and Control of Major Diseases of Soybeans. Dr. Ray Schneider, $83,525 (soybean).

Surveying Louisiana Soybeans for Soybean Vein Necrosis and Soybean Mottle Mosaic Two New Viral Diseases of Soybean in the United States Reported in Arkansas and Mississippi. Dr. R. Valverde, $9,500 (soybean).

Dean Lee Research and Extension StationLouisiana Soybean Research Verification Program –

LSRVP 2012. Dr. Ronnie Levy, $34,750 (soybean).On-Farm Demonstration Program – 2012. $67,206, Dr.

Ronnie Levy, $39,950(soybean), Dr. Ronnie Levy/ Dr. John Kruse, $26,256 (corn/wheat), Dr. Ronnie Levy/Dr. John Kruse, $1,000 (grain sorghum).

Agronomic Research to Improve Soybean Production in Louisiana. Dr. Daniel Stephenson, $15,000 (soybean).

Soybean Weed Management Systems in Louisiana. Dr. Daniel Stephenson, $48,550 (soybean).

Weed Management Systems for Feed Grain Crops in Louisiana. Dr. Daniel Stephenson, $20,000 ($13,125 corn/wheat and $6,875 grain sorghum).

The Effect of Phosphorus and Potassium Application and Timing Methods in Soybeans on Yield and Water Quality. Donna Morgan, $8,000 (soybean).

Macon Ridge Research StationEvaluation of Varieties and Management Practices for

Improved Soybean Seed Quality. Dr. Josh Lofton, $38,689 (soybean).

Evaluation of Cercospora Leaf Blight and Purple Seed Stain in Louisiana. Dr. Boyd Padgett, $21,630 (soy-bean).

Refining Field Corn and Grain Sorghum Insect Pest Management Strategies. Dr. David Kerns, $18,359 ($11,900 corn/wheat and $6,459 grain sorghum).

Optimizing Chemical Control Strategies for Louisiana Soybean Pests. Dr. David Kerns, $19,655 (soy-bean).

Evaluation of Soybean Cultivars and Fungicides for Dis-ease Management in Northeast Louisiana. Dr. Boyd Padgett, $26,006 (soybean).

Managing Disease in Louisiana Corn. Dr. Boyd Padgett, $10,000 (corn/wheat).

Wheat Disease Management in Louisiana. Dr. Boyd Padgett, $21,700 (corn/wheat).

Northeast Research StationCultural Practices That Influence Corn and Grain Sor-

ghum Yield, Performance and Aflatoxin Accumula-tion. Dr. Rick Mascagni, $40,000 ($15,000 corn/wheat and $25,000 grain sorghum).

Soybean Weed Control Research in Northeast Louisi-ana. Dr. Donnie Miller, $42,000 (soybean).

Feed Grain and Wheat Weed Control Research in Northeast Louisiana. Dr. Donnie Miller/Dr. Daniel Stephenson $39,999 ($5,000 soybean, $31,379 corn/wheat and $3,620 grain sorghum).

Red River Research StationSoybean Breeding and Variety Development. Dr. Blair

Buckley, $22,700 (soybean).

NEW PROJECTSNortheast Research StationWheat Residue Management Impacts on Soil Quality

and Soybean Yield in a Double Crop System, Dr. Theo Udeigwe, $14,565 ($12,412 soybean and $2,153 corn/wheat).

Dean Lee Research and Extension StationGrain on-Farm Variety Trials Using a Modified Corn

Planter. Dr. John Kruse, $5,000 (corn/wheat).

Total Soybean Funding: $771,485

Total Corn/Wheat Funding: $312,481

Total Grain Sorghum Funding: $47,154

agents to answer production prob-lems identified at producer advisory meetings. Decisions on projects for an upcoming planting season are usually made at a meeting in the fall, Levy said.

Results of the core block demon-strations are posted on LSU AgCen-ter’s soybean and corn Web pages under “extension demonstrations.”

Levy said the demonstration projects are the essence of extension

LSU AgCenter soybean specialist Ron Levy, at left, shows farmer Joey Olivier the effects of a pre-emerge herbicide on a soybean plant. (Photo by Bruce Schultz)

programs in Louisiana and nationwide.“The extension program was

founded on result demonstrations,” Levy said. “People were able to see the benefits of proven research practices and not just told what works.” –Bruce Schultz



LSU AgCenter weed scientist Daniel Stephenson is advising corn farmers to take a proactive approach to controlling weeds.

First, a burndown of weeds should be done four to six weeks before plant-ing. The end result removes weeds that will compete with corn for moisture and nutrition, and eliminate habitat for damaging insects such as cutworms, Stephenson said. “It’s just imperative that a corn grower starts clean.”

A pre-emerge herbicide is essential to prevent new weed growth, and it should be mixed with atrazine to give a full spectrum of grass and broadleaf control, he said. “It is still the bedrock we need to plant our corn weed con-trol program on.”

Stephenson said choosing a corn hybrid with Roundup Ready and Liberty Link traits will allow the pro-ducer to use glyphosate and Liberty for managing glyphosate-resistant johnsongrass.

But, he said, it is imperative that farmers avoid using an organophos-phate insecticide during planting, such as Counter, because those chemicals interfere with a plant’s ability to metabolize herbicides such as Corvus, Capreno, Realm Q, Accent Q, and other ALS-inhibiting herbicides.


Boyd Padgett became regional director for the AgCenter Central Region with an office in Alxeandria. His responsibili-ties include overseeing the extension and research efforts in ag-riculture, 4-H and family and consumer sciences in the region.

“My job will be to oversee and provide direction for these programs through collaborative efforts with LSU AgCenter faculty and other individuals directly involved in these efforts,” Padgett said. “My overall goal is to ensure the LSU AgCenter makes a positive impact in the region and benefits our stake-holders.”

Although Padgett’s previous position has been filled, he will continue to work with the soybean and grain board in an administrative capacity.

Donnie Miller assumed duties as research coordinator at the Macon Ridge Research Station in Winnsboro on May 1, 2012. This is in addition to his position as research coordinator at the Northeast Research Station in St. Joseph.

“My responsibilities with respect to soybean weed control research have not changed,” Miller said. “I will still be doing research with soybeans in weed management, weed biology, IPM strategies, resistance management, burndown programs and transgenic evaluations.”

Julien Beuzelin started May 1 at the Dean Lee Research Station with a 90 percent appointment in research and 10 per-cent in extension. He also has an appointment in the Depart-ment of Entomology.

A recent Ph.D. graduate of LSU, Beuzelin studied under Gene Reagan in the AgCenter and Ted Wilson at Texas AgriLife Research. Originally from the French Caribbean where his family farms, he was formally educated in France. His research

AgCenter announces administrative changes and new researchers

Researchers keep an eye on herbicide-resistant weeds in soybeans

Weed scientists are attributing the increase in glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth in Louisiana this year on the 2011 flood of the Mississippi River.

“There is evidence some of that weed seed from our neighbors in Missouri and Arkansas has floated down to us,” said LSU AgCenter weed scientist Jim Griffin.

Pigweed, the most notorious weed in the Midsouth for herbicide resistance, can produce 400,000 to 1 million seeds per plant, said LSU AgCenter weed sci-entist Donnie Miller. “With those numbers, you get a lot of genetic variation.”

More soybean farmers are using the Liberty Link technology to fight herbi-cide-resistant Palmer amaranth, and they are getting good yields, Griffin said.

The Liberty system is a good alternative for weeds resistant to glyphosate, Miller said.

Miller’s work on Liberty Link soybeans shows the material works well on broadleaf weeds, but it struggles to control grasses that get too large. It also is challenged by larger pigweed or Palmer amaranth. “You should apply Liberty before the plant gets to an inch or 2 inches in height.”

Monsanto has developed soybeans tolerant to the herbicide dicamba, of-fering a viable alternative for preemergence and postemergence management of glyphosate-resistant broadleaf weeds.

Current soybean varieties are sensitive to dicamba, and there is concern for off-target movement of the chemical, Griffin said. Monsanto has indicated that aerial application of dicamba will be restricted, he added, but there is concern about drift and injury to sensitive crops when application is made by ground rig.

A new herbicide developed by K-I Chemical Co., pyroxasulfone, works on grass and broadleaf weeds. “It can be used for both soil and foliar application and it is being looked at for soybeans, corn and wheat,” Griffin said. “It is a very impressive herbicide and will definitely have a fit in our production systems.”

The product was recently labeled for use in corn, and soybean registration is expected by the end of the year, Griffin said. Licensing agreements will allow marketing of pyroxasulfone alone through BASF under the trade name Zidua; pyroxasulfone plus flumioxazin (Valor) through Valent USA under the trade name Fierce; and pyroxasulfone plus fluthiacet (Cadet) through FMC under the trade name Anthem.

Crop use will depend on the specific product. Griffin said Zidua is quite ef-fective as a fall treatment and as a preplant burndown product. Research is also under way to evaluate Zidua for control of herbicide-resistant ryegrass in wheat.

Miller also is working with Zidua, Fierce and Anthem. “They are more tools in our weed management game plan,” he said.

Miller and Griffin are also working with the soil-applied herbicides Cinch, Prefix, Envive, Enlight, Canopy DF, Canopy EX, Authority MTZ, Valor SX, Valor XLT, Boundary and metribuzin products to evaluate weed spectrum, ap-plication rate, and crop injury.

Using a herbicide with long-lasting effectiveness is important because crop yield loss from weed competition is greatest within the first few weeks after planting. “Your main objective is to eliminate as much early competition as you can,” Miller said.

Johnsongrass resistant to glyphosate was identified by Griffin in Pointe Cou-pee Parish in 2010. It appears that the glyphosate-resistant johnsongrass is less sensitive to Select when compared with johnsongrass that was easily controlled

with glyphosate. “We have some concerns because our backup system for controlling johnsongrass might not be there,” Griffin said. –Bruce Schultz

Corn weed control starts with clean fields

Many farmers assume that a herbicide will have three months of residual activity, but such long-lasting chemicals were taken off the market long ago, Stephenson said. “Don’t expect any herbicide to give you three months of weed control.”

Most farmers only spray their crop when it gets about 12 inches tall, with no follow-up, but he said a second application is becoming more commonplace.

Because corn is harvested in Lou-isiana in July and August, weeds in harvested fields have several months to thrive, Stephenson said.

Farmers who don’t control these weeds are recharging the weed seed bank, he said. This means the fight against weeds will be even more dif-ficult in the next growing season. Us-ing a residual herbicide, such as Valor mixed with a non-selective herbicide like paraquat, or making multiple tillage passes to destroy weed vegeta-tion, is a good way to suppress seed production until cold weather arrives, Stephenson said. –Bruce Schultz

responsibilities include sweet potato insect pest management and pest problems in soybeans, corn, sorghum and wheat, and he is the statewide extension entomology contact for soybeans, feed grains and sweet potatoes.

David Kerns is an entomologist at the Macon Ridge Re-search Station. He also has an appointment in the Department of Entomology. He was raised in West Texas and attended Texas A&M University, Oklahoma State University and Au-burn University. He has worked as a crop consultant in Texas, with the agri-chemical industry in the Mississippi Delta, as a vegetable and citrus entomologist and as a cotton entomologist.

Kerns’ AgCenter responsiblities include insect pest management in cotton, corn, soybeans and grain sorghum with statewide responsibilities in cotton. Much of his research includes insecticide efficacy, monitoring insecticide resis-tance, insect outbreaks, developing action thresholds and the development of insect resistant transgenic crops. His program supports three research associates, a research technician, a graduate assistant, four student workers and additional sum-mer labor.

Josh Lofton joined the faculty at the Macon Ridge Research Station May 1 with a 90 percent research and 10 percent extension appointment. He graducated with a Ph.D. from LSU in May.

Lofton’s current research responsibilities are to improve management of the major row crops grown in northeast Loui-siana, specifically corn, cotton, soybeans and grain sorghum with emphasis on improving nutrient and water use efficiency. He also is statewide agronomic contact for grain sorghum production.

Telling producers about the latest advances in weed control technology is an important part of field day presentations by weed scientist Daniel Stephenson. (Photo by Mary Ann Van Osdell)


Padgett

Miller

Beuzelin

Kerns

Lofton


Wheat growers have a saying, “wheat doesn’t like wet feet.” With winters that are often damp and dreary, Louisiana is not conducive for growing this crop that has its origins in dry climates. Here, wheat faces attacks from diseases and insects. But LSU AgCenter wheat breeder Steve Harrison has developed lines that can tolerate local conditions and allow farmers to grow wheat profitably.

Harrison has enlisted the help of other universities to make this pos-sible. The LSU AgCenter is a partner in SUNGRAINS, a consortium of six Southeastern universities cooperating on wheat and oat research and variety development. Other SUNGRAINS partners are the universities of Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina State University and Texas A&M.

“It is a large-scale, collaborative breeding program aimed at serving the entire region,” Harrison said. “It pro-vides the majority wheat and all of the oat varieties grown in the Southeast.”

Varieties developed at the Ag-Center used to be tested at just three locations within the state. Now they are tested at multiple locations across the Southeast, allowing for better data collection more quickly, and that helps make breeding decisions. Looking at how varieties perform across the Southeast region helps make the breed-ing program much more efficient.

The group shares graduate students, royalties from releases and breeding material. Harrison said this increases everyone’s power to develop varieties. “It’s a unique program that is absolutely unheard of in terms of multi-state collaboration,”

The SUNGRAINS cooperative agreement recently was renewed for another five years.

Through its work with SUN-GRAINS, the LSU AgCenter’s wheat and oat breeding program will release several varieties this year, the most significant being the wheat breeding

Small grains research produces results

line named LA01110D-150. This release adds another high-yielding and adapted variety for farmers to plant.

Harrison said the breeding pro-gram partnered with the Georgia Seed Development Commission in Plains, Ga., to produce 1,200 bushels of this variety this year. “This line has done extremely well across the region for the last three years,” he said.

Harrison also is planning to re-lease another line called LA02015E-201, which he said is a good variety for the Deep South but is not as broadly adapted as LA01110D-150.

The wheat breed-ing team’s research is focused on developing high-yielding, disease-resistant varieties adapted to the Gulf Coast region, Harrison said. “We’re bringing in new genes for stripe rust resistance

and looking at a new disease, wheat blast.”

Wheat blast recently showed up in the United States, and Harrison said it has a potential to be a major problem. He has been testing for blast resistance during the past several years through collaborative screening nurseries in Brazil.

“We have material that looks like it has good resistance,” he said. “We will start putting that into breeding lines and try to stay ahead of the game.”

Harrison also is looking at resis-tance to the Hessian fly, the major insect pest of wheat.

“Any wheat grown in this region has to have a good defensive package in addition to high yields and high test weight.”

Harrison works with an LSU AgCenter team to develop new lines. He serves as the lead breeder; plant pathologists Boyd Padgett and Don Groth work on disease resistance; en-tomologist Fangneng Huang conducts research on resistance to Hessian fly, and agronomist Rick Mascagni focuses on agronomic characteristics such as plant height and test weight. Also on the team are research associates Kelly Arceneaux, Lucas Bissett, Katie Mc-Carthy and Myra Purvis.

“Planting breeding by nature is a huge undertaking. It can’t be done by one person alone. It has to be a team approach,” he said.

The team had a hard time collect-ing data this year because of warm and wet conditions that damaged plants or


complicated development. Warm tem-peratures caused the wheat to develop early, and in many areas the crop did not receive the required chilling hours needed to head.

The wheat breeding team is work-ing on a molecular marker project to help map genes that influence heading dates, vernalization and other impor-tant traits. “We try to develop select-able markers that allow us to screen for and identify those lines that have the genes and traits we are looking for in terms of agronomic characteristics and disease resistance,” Harrison said.

Other desirable agronomic traits include test weight, lodging resistance and height.

Harrison and his team also work with oats. LSU AgCenter’s oat program is one of only a handful in the United States and is well known around the world.

“We coordinate an international

oat program for the exchange of breeding material. As a result, we have a very broad genetic base and develop lines that work well in other parts of the world, as part of our local breeding program,” Harrison said.

The AgCenter is releasing three oat varieties this year. One will be released in cooperation with a govern-ment institution in Uruguay. Another will be used in California’s dairy in-dustry. And the third will used in Germany for the fodder industry.

These lines are offshoots of re-search aimed at producing oats for the southern United States. “Releasing them benefits the LSU AgCenter in that we get some support back for the program that benefits growers across the southern U.S.,” Harrison said. –Tobie Blanchard

LSU AgCenter plant breeder Steve Harrison reviews how each wheat variety performed in trials at the LSU AgCenter Macon Ridge Research Station during a field day on April 11, 2012. (Photo by Rick Bogren)

(Photo by Rick Bogren)

Louisiana Soybean & GrainResearch & Promotion BoardLSU AgCenterP.O. Box 25100Baton Rouge, LA 70894

Louisiana Soybean & Grain Research & Promotion Board Report

For more information on Louisiana soybean and grain production visit: www.lsuagcenter.com

Prepared by LSU AgCenter Communications, Frankie Gould, Director128 Knapp Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, (225) 578-2263 LSU AgCenter

Administrative Advisor, B. Rogers Leonard, Associate Vice Chancellor and Associate Director, Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station

Editors:Linda Foster Benedict

Rick Bogren

Writers:Tobie Blanchard, Rick Bogren,

Craig Gautreaux, Frankie Gould, Tom Merrill, Johnny Morgan

and Bruce Schultz

Designer:Barbara Groves Corns

Photographers:Rick Bogren, Zhi-Yuan Chen,

Craig Gautreaux, Johnny Morgan, Bruce Schultz, Brenda Tubana,

Mary Ann Van Osdell

Research focuses on soybean disease

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