December 22, 2008
ASA weekly: USDA scientists use clones to stop soy pests
Cyst nematodes are wormlike pests that live in the soil, where they can wriggle into soy roots to feed, mate and lay eggs. They cause damage to soy root cells by hindering the flow of nutrients and water to the rest of the plant.
The pests set soy farmers back by US$1 billion each year. A way to rid of the cyst nematodes is through fumigating, but this form of control is costly.
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) plant physiologist Ben Matthews and colleagues in Beltsville, Maryland have cloned one of the nematode’s own protein-making genes. This clone is able to stop protein-making in nematodes.
In greenhouse trials at the ARS Soybean Genomics and Improvement Laboratory in Beltsville, 80 to 90 percent of juvenile female nematodes that fed on the engineered soyroots died or failed to mature by 30 days.
U.S. & South America Soybean/Products Balance | |||||||||
  |
United States |
Argentina |
Brazil | ||||||
Actual |
Estimate |
Proj. |
Actual |
Estimate |
Proj. |
Actual |
Estimate |
Proj. | |
2006/07 |
2007/08 |
2008/09 |
2006/07 |
2007/08 |
2008/09 |
2006/07 |
2007/08 |
2008/09 | |
Soybeans |
thousand tonnes | ||||||||
Carryin |
12,229 |
15,617 |
5,580 |
334 |
1,876 |
945 |
2,252 |
3,110 |
3,830 |
Production |
86,770 |
72,824 |
79,486 |
48,800 |
46,200 |
50,500 |
59,000 |
61,000 |
59,000 |
Imports |
246 |
269 |
191 |
2,336 |
3,025 |
2,700 |
108 |
100 |
150 |
Crush |
49,198 |
49,024 |
46,675 |
35,962 |
35,180 |
36,700 |
31,511 |
31,955 |
31,500 |
Exports |
30,428 |
31,598 |
28,576 |
12,132 |
13,400 |
14,900 |
23,805 |
25,450 |
25,000 |
Other |
4,002 |
2,508 |
4,422 |
1,500 |
1,576 |
1,600 |
2,934 |
2,975 |
3,025 |
Usage |
83,628 |
83,130 |
79,673 |
49,594 |
50,156 |
53,200 |
58,250 |
60,380 |
59,525 |
Carryout |
15,617 |
5,580 |
5,584 |
1,876 |
945 |
945 |
3,110 |
3,830 |
3,455 |
Soymeal |
thousand tonnes | ||||||||
Carryin |
285 |
314 |
267 |
2,003 |
1,144 |
1,200 |
863 |
1,563 |
1,878 |
Production |
39,058 |
38,322 |
36,959 |
27,856 |
27,607 |
28,700 |
24,420 |
24,760 |
24,410 |
Domestic use |
31,184 |
30,078 |
29,484 |
619 |
634 |
660 |
11,520 |
12,180 |
12,600 |
Net Exports |
7,845 |
8,291 |
7,470 |
28,096 |
26,917 |
28,013 |
12,200 |
12,265 |
12,075 |
Usage |
39,029 |
38,369 |
36,954 |
28,715 |
27,551 |
28,673 |
23,720 |
24,445 |
24,675 |
Carryout |
314 |
267 |
272 |
1,144 |
1,200 |
1,227 |
1,563 |
1,878 |
1,613 |
Soybean oil |
thousand tonnes | ||||||||
Carryin |
1,365 |
1,399 |
1,126 |
487 |
310 |
301 |
300 |
341 |
406 |
Production |
9,294 |
9,329 |
8,868 |
6,917 |
6,709 |
7,017 |
6,050 |
6,130 |
6,040 |
Domestic use |
8,420 |
8,313 |
8,165 |
580 |
1,045 |
1,167 |
3,550 |
3,895 |
3,998 |
Net exports |
840 |
1,289 |
907 |
6,514 |
5,673 |
5,800 |
2,459 |
2,170 |
2,050 |
Usage |
9,260 |
9,602 |
9,072 |
7,094 |
6,718 |
6,967 |
6,009 |
6,065 |
6,048 |
Carryout |
1,399 |
1,126 |
922 |
310 |
301 |
351 |
341 |
406 |
398 |
USDA Export Sales (tmt) - Week of 11 December 2008 | ||||||||
Country |
Commodity |
New Sales |
Accum. Exports |
|
Country |
Commodity |
New Sales |
Accum. Exports |
|
Soybeans |
1.50 |
7.10 |
|
|
Soymeal |
27.10 |
317.40 |
|
Soybeans |
17.70 |
78.60 |
|
|
Soymeal |
2.60 |
45.30 |
|
Soybeans |
823.00 |
7014.60 |
|
|
Soymeal |
4.50 |
23.30 |
|
Soybeans |
3.60 |
37.40 |
|
|
Soymeal |
2.40 |
7.30 |
|
Soybeans |
5.30 |
45.70 |
|
|
Soyoil |
0.60 |
7.60 |
|
Soybeans |
15.40 |
311.10 |
|
|
Soyoil |
0.60 |
0.00 |
|
Soybeans |
25.40 |
816.90 |
|
|
Soyoil |
0.70 |
22.80 |
|
Soybeans |
9.30 |
617.50 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Soymeal |
7.20 |
210.90 |
|
|
|
|
|
Dom. Rep. |
Soymeal |
7.50 |
58.10 |
|
Export Sales Totals (tmt) | |||
|
Soymeal |
2.40 |
27.50 |
|
Commodity |
Outstanding Sales |
Accum. Exports |
New Sales |
|
Soymeal |
6.20 |
4.20 |
|
Soybeans |
7,627.60 |
11,629.00 |
893.60 |
|
Soymeal |
3.60 |
19.10 |
|
Soymeal |
1,493.70 |
1,419.30 |
62.10 |
|
Soymeal |
6.20 |
31.60 |
|
Soyoil |
109.70 |
98.80 |
1.40 |