On Friday, 14th May, the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Supply (Mapa) published, in the Official Gazette, Ordinance No. 306 that revised and updated the procedures in the National Program for the Control of Asian Soybean Rust (PNCFS), adopted nationally through Normative Instruction 2/2007.
The new regulation will be in force from 1st June, and among the major changes is the implementation of a new governance model for the pest control program.
“Phytosanitary measures related to periods of sanitary emptiness and sowing schedules will be instituted by the Secretariat for Agricultural Defense based on the suggestions of the state vegetable sanitary defense entities, in conjunction with the federal agriculture superintendencies of each state, while considering data from scientific research, the monitoring of pests during previous harvest, the results of fungicide efficiency tests and agricultural zoning,” said Carlos Goulart (Director of the Department of Plant Health and Agricultural Inputs).
The sanitary vacuum, defined as a continuous period of at least 90 days when it is not possible to sow or maintain live plants of a species in a given area, aims to reduce the rate of disease infection and the population of the pest.
The soybean sowing schedule, defined by scientific research as a measure for rationalizing the number of fungicide applications and the consequent reduction in the risk of developing resistance to the fungus that causes a disease, was previously set by only a few producing states. But this will now be officially recognized by Mapa, with the mandatory adoption at national level.
"Both measures may be established on a regional basis within the same federal unit, therefore, respecting the edaphoclimatic characteristics and peculiar conditions of each producing region," Goulart added.
The regulation also stipulates that data records related to the monitoring of the occurrence of the pest must be stored in its own computerized system, which will be made available later by Mapa to guide producers on the conditions for dispersion of diseases and the most appropriate moment to use recommended control measures.
The new governance model of the PNFCS was developed based on long-term discussion and the submission of suggestions by the entire production chain, including rural producers, companies that manufacture inputs, research institutions and official plant health bodies.
“To enable both producers and state agencies responsible for the program's inspection actions can prepare properly, the new regulation maintains the sanitary vacuum periods previously established for 2021,” Goulart stressed.
National Program for the Control of Asian Soybean Rust
The PNCFS aims to strengthen the agricultural production system for soybeans, bringing together strategic plant health protection policies supported by agricultural research and technical assistance related to the pest’s prevention and control.
The disease is caused by the fungus, Phakopsora pachyrhizi, and is one of the most severe issues affecting soybean, which can occur at any phenological stage. In various geographic regions where Asian rust has been reported at epidemic levels, damage can vary from 10% to 90% of production.
