Rondônia Health Defense promotes inspection in soybean cultivation areas

With the soybean sanitary void in effect, a continuous period of 90 days in which it is not possible to plant or maintain live soybean plants in the field, the Rondônia Agrosilvopastoral Health Defense Agency (Idaron) began this week inspection work in the areas of grain cultivation, to prevent the spread of the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, causes Asian rust, a difficult-to-control pest that poses a serious threat to production and the economy.

The inspection work involves professionals from all Idaron units, throughout the state, and uses dynamic geographic information, obtained by satellite and georeferencing technology. “The Agency maintains a database with all the information on the regions where soybeans are planted. With this information in hand, Idaron professionals trace daily routes and travel by car, recording the current situation of all rural properties involved in soybean farming through photos”, explains the plant health inspection and defense manager, Jessé de Oliveira.

Regarding the sanitary void, Jessé explains that this phytosanitary measure is one of the main actions to control rust, being the most important tool to mitigate the occurrence of the disease, since, without the presence of the plant, the main host of the pest, it is It is possible to reduce the amount of spores present in the environment and, consequently, delay the appearance and development of the fungus.

For the state governor, Marcos Rocha, the work carried out by the Idaron Agency is fundamental and must count on the collaboration of all entities linked to the sector, given that soy is one of the main products in the Rondônia production chain, responsible for an important slice of the Rondônia economy. “It is worth highlighting that the export of soybeans occupies second place in the ranking of the state of Rondônia, second only to the economy generated by livestock farming, so protecting this sector is essential for both the producer and the government”, highlights Marcos Rocha .

The president of Idaron, Julio Cesar Rocha Peres warns that Asian rust can cause losses of 10% to 90% of production and that the soybean health gap is based on the National Program for the Control of Asian Soy Rust (PNCFS) , established within the scope of the Ministry of Agriculture (Mapa). “Owners, tenants or holders in any capacity of areas that were cultivated with soy can and will be held responsible if the presence of live soy plants is detected in their planting areas, whether cultivated or voluntary”, emphasizes Julio Peres.