College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Vol. 8, No. 3, October 2001

In This Issue

• U of I Researchers Moving Forward On Developing SDS
  Resistance in Soybeans
• Research Shows No Significant Difference In Animals Fed GMO Soybeans
• U of I Team Tracks Return Of Soybean Aphids To Illinois
• NSRL Launches Effort to Assist World Initiative for Soy in Human Health
• U of I Students' ëSoy Muffunsí Win Soybean Utilization Contest

• From the Directorís Desk

Sudden death syndrome (SDS) is ranked as the second most costly soybean disease in Illinois. In the 2000 growing season alone, yield losses in the state from this disease were estimated at more than $400 million. And, according to researchers at the University of Illinois, the most viable option for controlling SDS is to develop new soybean varieties with genetic resistance.

"Although no varieties to date have been identified with complete resistance to the disease, partial resistance can be found in some varieties," says Brian Diers, soybean breeder with the Department of Crop Sciences at the U of I. "Those partially resistant varieties will show fewer disease symptoms and will have less yield loss than varieties that are highly susceptible to the disease."

U of I Soybean breeder Brian Diers examines a plant for signs of SDS. He is working with other breeders and plant pathologists at the NSRL to develop new varieties with genetic resistance to this major soybean disease.

Wayne Pedersen, plant pathologist at the U of Iís National Soybean Research Laboratory, notes that information on the level of resistance in most commercial soybean varieties is available from a number of sources, including seed company representatives and the U of Iís Varietal Information Program for Soybeans (VIPS).

"This new database contains detailed information on more than 2,000 different soybean varieties grown in Illinois and Iowa," Pedersen says. "VIPS integrates information on yield, protein, and oil content with new data on disease susceptibility, including SDS. Information can be found for soybeans grown in all 12 locations for the U of I field trials. The program has recently been upgraded to include data from the most recent Iowa Crop Performance Tests."

This handy tool for analyzing the performance of soybean varieties can be found on the worldwide web at http://web.aces.uiuc.edu/vips. In most cases, more than 30 different compositional attributes are listed for each variety. The project was initially funded by the Soybean Research and Development Council. Continuing support for VIPS is provided by the Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board.

"This project offers an invaluable source of information on the production attributes of numerous soybean varieties," Pedersen says. "The program allows users to compare varieties from one or more locations. They also can rank varieties from highest to lowest based on yield, protein, oil content, or disease resistance. The database includes information for both Roundup Ready and conventional soybean varieties."

Despite the development of these new tools for growers, there are still no available commercial varieties with high levels of resistance to SDS. Diers points out that progress toward this goal has been slowed due to a number of complicating factors.

"One problem has been the difficulty of obtaining consistent disease symptoms in field tests," Diers says. "Because the development of SDS is dependent on weather conditions, it is often difficult to obtain good disease symptoms in the field when you want them."

Even more important has been the lack of sources for complete resistance. Research has shown that the genetics of resistance to SDS is very complex, with many different genes needed to give even partial resistance.

"Breeders and plant pathologists are now exploring plant introductions, which are soybean varieties collected from around the world, as new sources of resistance," Diers says. "These plant introductions could provide new genes that could enhance the levels of resistance of currently available varieties. Our research program in this area is moving forward, and there are many promising developments already in the works."

Major funding for the breeding and genetics program has been provided by the Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board. In addition to breeding for disease resistance, other U of I researchers are evaluating several isolates of Fusarium solani glycines, which is the fungus that causes SDS, from several different locations to determine the level of genetic variability.

"It is important to know if a source of resistance is effective against all isolates or only a few isolates," Pedersen says. "We are also evaluating several means of inoculating field plots to ensure infection in a screening. As a result, we are moving ahead on several fronts in an effort to develop improved genetic resistance to this major disease in soybeans. "

In related research, other scientists at the U of I are studying alternative field management systems to more effectively control SDS. One area of special interest is the impact of soil compaction on the development of this disease.

"In soils with compaction or with poor drainage, deep tillage down to 12 to 14 inches appears to reduce the incidence of SDS," Pedersen says. "However, tillage appears to have almost no effect on disease in fields with little compaction. We also have evaluated numerous seed treatments and biological control agents, but none appear to control SDS. Therefore, the development of new varieties with increased genetic resistance still holds the key for dealing with this major soybean disease problem in Illinois."

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Genetically modified corn and soybeans that have reached the marketplace in the United States have all been approved for use in animal feed. And, according to recent research at the University of Illinois, animals who were fed genetically modified corn and soybeans showed no significant differences from those which were fed the non-GMO varieties.

Jimmy Clark, professor of ruminant nutrition in the Department of Animal Sciences at the U of I, reviewed the results from 23 research experiments which were conducted over the past four years at universities throughout the United States, Germany, and France.

In each study, separate groups of chickens, dairy cows, beef cattle and sheep were fed either genetically modified corn or soybeans or traditional corn or soybean as a portion of their diet. Each experiment independently confirmed that there is no significant difference in the animals' ability to digest the genetically modified crops or in the weight gain, milk production, milk composition, and overall health of the animals when compared to animals fed the traditional crops.

"Based on safety analyses required for each crop, human consumption of milk, meat and eggs produced from animals fed genetically modified crops should be as safe as products derived from animals fed conventional crops," Clark says. "Approximately 70 percent of the genetically modified soybeans produced in the world and 80 percent of the genetically modified corn produced in the United States are used as animal feed. Since these genetically modified crops were grown beginning in 1996, they have been fed to livestock and no detrimental effects have been reported."

In the experiments that Clark reviewed, the corn used was genetically modified with a gene from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), a soil bacterium that produces protein that kills the European corn borer, a common and very destructive pest in corn fields.

"Corn borers reduce the quality and yield of corn and damage the plant tissue which results in an increased opportunity for fungal growth," Clark says. "The fungi can produce a dangerous toxin that can kill horses and pigs and cause esophageal cancer in humans. So, eliminating the corn borer from corn reduces the chance for growth of the fungi from the corn plant, improving the safety of corn for animals and humans."

The soybeans used in the studies were produced by inserting a gene that causes the plant to be tolerant to the environmentally friendly herbicide glyphosate. This tolerance to glyphosate allows farmers to spray and kill weeds without killing the soybeans.

In other studies the nutritional value of genetically modified corn and soybeans was compared to that of traditional crops. These studies showed no significant difference in the nutritional composition of the grains themselves. Along with many other scientists working with biotechnology, Clark believes that biotech crops hold the answer to how the growing population of the world will continue to be fed.

"It has been estimated that the supply of food required to adequately meet human nutritional needs over the next 40 years is quantitatively equal to the amount of food previously produced throughout the entire history of humankind," Clark says. "With the current world population at about six billion, and the estimated 10 billion people expected by the year 2040, modern methods of biotechnology must be used to produce enough feed for livestock and food for humans."

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University of Illinois scientists have continued to track the return of soybean aphids in Illinois throughout the 2001 growing season. This effort has been carried out by members of a research team that was formed last fall to study this new pest and provide updated information on its potential threat to soybean producers.

"Entomologists from our team first confirmed the return of the aphids on soybean plants in seven counties during late June," says David Onstad, entomologist with the U of Iís Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences. "Within weeks the aphids were reported in numerous other counties across the state. This was part of our ongoing effort to track this new pest and to confirm whether or not it would survive overwintering in Illinois."

Onstad notes that those sightings indicated that the aphids had successfully moved into the soybean fields from the buckthorn plants, where they overwinter.

"This finding confirmed our conjecture that the aphids had survived the winter in Illinois," Onstad says. "Over the following weeks the aphids reached as high as several thousand aphids per plant on average in many fields. Those numbers indicate that the aphid density was generally much higher across the state than we saw last year."

The aphids were first discovered in large numbers in soybean fields near the end of the 2000 growing season. After careful scientific investigation, they were identified as Aphis glycines, which had previously been reported only in Asia, Australia, and some Pacific islands.

Because so little was known about this pest, an interdisciplinary team of experts was assembled at the U of I to monitor the situation. The thirteen-member group includes researchers from the U of I, the Illinois Natural History Survey, the U. S. Department of Agriculture, and the National Soybean Research Laboratory. Onstad serves as the project leader for the team.

Funding for this project was provided by the Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board, the USDA, and a Sentinel Grant from the Illinois Council for Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR).

"As part of this effort, we conducted sampling last fall of buckthorn plants, which serve

 as the overwintering hosts for the aphids," Onstad says. "We found the aphids on only two buckthorn plants during this survey. We looked again in May, when we once again found them on only two buckthorn plants."

Illinois, however, proved to be the only state in the north-central region where the aphids were found overwintering on buckthorn.

"The low numbers of aphids in the host plants left us with no clear indication at the time whether or not they would cause a problem in soybean fields again this year," Onstad says. "After our research this season, we know that this insect can succeed quite well in the state, even though it is rather difficult to locate on its overwintering host."

Onstad adds it takes only about a week for a new generation of these aphids to develop. The population increases by a factor of more than ten during each new generation. As the soybean plants become crowded with aphids, the insects fly outward to new fields.

"Throughout the growing season we have continued to monitor what might be called ëthe invasion frontí as it moved out from northern Illinois," he said. "We know that the aphids can be moved by storm fronts and winds quite far away from their point of origin. It appears that they have again infested much of the state. Our teams have found them all the way from the Wisconsin border in the north to Dixon Springs in the south."

At low densities, the main concern is the chance that the aphids could transmit diseases to the soybean plants. This possibility remains only theoretical and has not been confirmed by scientists from the team.

"One major concern occurs if high densities occur on seedling soybean plants," Onstad says. "We know from Asia that large yield losses can occur in that situation. Growers should remain vigilant for the presence of the aphids on seedlings in the future, although this did not become a problem this year."

He emphasizes that the most likely problems come if the high densities of aphids occur late in the season. The numbers this year, however, have varied considerably from region to region in the state and even from field to field, with the populations often crashing because of the presence of natural predators.

"There is some evidence that yield losses up to 10 percent can happen in those fields where numbers remain high late in the season," he says. "Further research is needed to confirm that figure. The best advice is for growers to keep an eye on the situation and to keep in touch with entomologists and other personnel from U of I Extension for the latest information."

Researchers have continued to monitor the situation through a network of suction traps at seven locations around the state. Additional teams of entomologists have continued to sample soybean fields across the state throughout the growing season.

"From our research plots, we have found that differences among soybean varieties can have a major impact in the reaction to injury caused by the aphids," Onstad says. "This cultivar effect will continue to be a major focus of research as we move ahead. We also are moving ahead on research aimed at more precisely assessing the potential yield losses from this new pest."

He adds that natural predators appeared to provide effective control in many fields during the growing season. As a result, the decision to apply insecticides for control of the aphids should be based on at least two careful samples that account for both the numbers of aphid and natural predators.

"Growers certainly should not rush into applying an insecticide for control of aphids," Onstad says. "There still are no well established thresholds. Although spraying can kill most of the aphids, it also can destroy the natural predators. Even if only a few aphids survive, the populations can soon rebound even higher than before because of the lack of natural predators."

Information gathered by the team will continue to be published in the Pest Management and Crop Development Bulletin published by U of I Extension. The public can also log on to the Soybean Aphid On-Line Reporting and Mapping System on the North Central Pest Management Centerís website at www.pmcenters.org/northcentral/start.html. Up-to-date information on the number of aphids captured in the suction traps can be found at http//www.ipm.uiuc.edu/agriculture/soybeans/aphids/index.html

"Only time will tell if the soybean aphid has become a major pest to be reckoned with," Onstad says. "However, the research team at the U of I remains prepared to quickly address many aspects of soybean aphid biology and management if the problem turns into a threat to soybean production."

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Many of the greatest opportunities for expanding the use of soy protein in human food undoubtedly will come in the worldís developing nations, where diets are deficient in protein. As a result, the National Soybean Research Laboratory is working closely with Illinois soybean growers and the American Soybean Association on the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) program.

"The goal of this project is to improve the diet of undernourished and underfed people throughout the world, while providing a use for abundant U.S. soybeans," says Pradeep Khanna, program coordinator at the NSRL. "This is being achieved through work with private voluntary organizations to introduce soybeans and soy products in developing countries where soy has not traditionally been available."

He notes that this program works to educate private voluntary organizations about the benefits of soy protein products so that they can include them in their requests to the U.S. government for food aid. The program also is developing new approaches for incorporating soy products in emergency feeding efforts conducted by the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

"One critical factor in this effort is the rising demand for protein in human diets and the projected large increase in demand for protein over the next decades," Khanna says. "Due to its versatility, soy can be used in a wide variety of products. Fortification of staple diets can create

increased demand without causing any concerns about the taste and functional properties of food products."

He further points out that a large part of the increased demand for soy protein will come from segments of society that do not now consume meat, primarily due to economic and cultural reasons.

"For example, soy-fortified tortilla in Mexico and soy-fortified flour in India do not compete at all with meat products," Khanna says. "Only when people modify their diets for health reasons does a substitution of soy protein for animal protein take place. This represents a small, but rapidly growing segment of the market."

He emphasizes that the NSRL is especially supporting the efforts of private voluntary organizations, such as CARE and Save the Children, to incorporate more soy-fortified foods into their international feeding programs. Such products would become part of their efforts that today are feeding hungry people in more than 60 countries around the world.

As part of this effort, the NSRL is assisting private volunteer organizations to develop feeding programs as a part of their grants from the USDAís Global Food for Education Initiative program. This initiative was designed to introduce school feeding programs in developing countries by donating surplus agricultural commodities.

"We also will support efforts by the National Institutes of Health and the USDA to evaluate how soy nutrition can impact the health of AIDS patients," Khanna says. "An estimated 36 million people worldwide have AIDS, with more than 70 percent of the cases in southern Africa. This is precisely the kind of area where this project can have a large impact."

The WISHH program also is working to incorporate soy in early childhood feeding programs underway in developing countries.

"This project offers a win-win situation for soybean growers," Khanna says. "It can help increase the price of soybeans by reducing the current surplus, while also providing a better diet for millions of people around the world. By working with private voluntary organizations, we can insure that soy products go to the places where they can do the most good."

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The "Soy Muffun,"a new creation by University of Illinois students, won first place in the third annual SoyLutions soybean utilization contest sponsored by the Illinois Soybean Association and Illinois Soybean Checkoff Board. Each muffin is fortified with 6.9 grams of soy protein and containing only 3 grams of fat.

U of I students Karen Robinson and Monica Carlin created the ready-to-bake muffins in blueberry and "s'more" flavors as a voluntary project for a product development class in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. With assistance from faculty advisors Shelly Schmidt and Barbara Klein, the students developed a marketing plan, projecting that the product would require nearly 144,000 bushels of soybeans in the first year of production.

The muffin would be marketed as a ready-to-bake product, packaged in individual muffin containers that could be discarded after use. The 6.9 grams of soy protein in each serving

meets the FDA's soy health claim that soy protein reduces the risk of coronary heart disease.

"Muffins are deemed as snack foods, but full-fat muffin products can provide a substantial number of calories," Carlin says. "Soy Muffun has less fat and is fortified with healthful soy, so consumers would feel less guilt when they indulge in the snack item."

Six student teams from Illinois participated in the 2001 contest, which is considered a

partnership between Illinois universities, students and soybean producers in finding new uses for soybeans. Students find the experience of creating new products and competing for the top prize valuable, according to Shelly Schmidt, professor of food chemistry.

"It's a capstone experience for students because they have the opportunity to apply their knowledge to a practical problem," Schmidt says. "And, their award-winning creation makes the students more marketable for careers in the food industry."

The winning U of I team was awarded $5,000. Second place was awarded to an Illinois State University team for soy-enriched pork kabobs. John Wood Community College students won third place with a beer made of soybeans instead of barley.

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From the Directorís Desk

The memories of the horrible events on September 11 will stay with and affect all of us for many years to come. There are likely to be many consequences and outcomes that arise directly and indirectly from this tragedy. We can hope that one positive response from the United States and its developed country allies is a renewed commitment to raise living standards and human well being throughout the world. Agriculture and food have to be critical components of any effective drive to achieve these goals.

In this issue of the Bulletin, we highlight the World Initiative for Soy in Human Health, an effort being led by the American Soybean Association to advance soyís role in alleviating malnutrition in the world. This effort is an alliance of soybean producers, private volunteer organizations, academia, private sector firms and government aid organizations. As such, it represents an innovative response to one of the most basic challenges of humankind.

Also in this Newsletter are articles describing efforts to create enhanced germplasm, protect growing plants from new pest sources, and to evaluate new technologies. Because the world has experienced an unusual run of years of good crop growing conditions, the value of the continual efforts needed to maintain and advance agricultural productivity often are under appreciated. This is particularly true among the worldís well-off consumers, for whom the challenge of acquiring tomorrowís food involves no more than a trip to a grocery store. But agricultural productivity is one of those phenomenons that are ignored when it is working well but is a crisis when it is not.

Recently two colleagues and I completed a segment of a comprehensive scenario analysis where we addressed the question, "What if the worldís agricultural productivity doesnít keep up?" There is not space in this column to provide any detail of this analysis. But, in very general terms, we evaluated the effects of a decade of food price inflation in the future identical to that the world experienced during the 1970ís. The answer, very simply, is that hundreds of millions of people would fall into malnutrition. People could be more well fed if agricultural productivity could continue to keep pace with the worldís appetite for more food and food that is higher in quality.

Steve Sonka

NSRL Director and Soybean Industry Chair in Agricultural Strategy

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Unless otherwise stated, articles may be reproduced or quoted if credit is given to the NSRL Bulletin. The National Soybean Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois is an affirmative action and equal opportunity institution.