December 22, 2008

 

ASA weekly: USDA scientists use clones to stop soy pests
 

 
The US Agriculture Department scientists are developing clones to fight against soy pests known as cyst nematodes which weaken soy root cells.

 

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.

 

However the fruits of the research will only see light at least eight years from now. That will have to depend on the success of field tests, further refinement, regulatory approval, propagation and other requirements.
 

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
Barbados
Soybeans
1.50
7.10
 
Mexico
Soymeal
27.10
317.40
Canada
Soybeans
17.70
78.60
 
Philippines
Soymeal
2.60
45.30
China
Soybeans
823.00
7014.60
 
Salvador
Soymeal
4.50
23.30
Colombia
Soybeans
3.60
37.40
 
Trinidad
Soymeal
2.40
7.30
Costa Rica
Soybeans
5.30
45.70
 
Canada
Soyoil
0.60
7.60
Indonesia
Soybeans
15.40
311.10
 
Honduras
Soyoil
0.60
0.00
Mexico
Soybeans
25.40
816.90
 
Mexico
Soyoil
0.70
22.80
Taiwan
Soybeans
9.30
617.50
 
 
 
 
 
Canada
Soymeal
7.20
210.90
 
 
 
 
 
Dom. Rep.
Soymeal
7.50
58.10
 
Export Sales Totals (tmt)
Ecuador
Soymeal
2.40
27.50
 
Commodity
Outstanding Sales
Accum. Exports
New Sales
Guyana
Soymeal
6.20
4.20
 
Soybeans
7,627.60
11,629.00
893.60
Jamaica
Soymeal
3.60
19.10
 
Soymeal
1,493.70
1,419.30
62.10
Japan
Soymeal
6.20
31.60
 
Soyoil
109.70
98.80
1.40
 

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