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Vol. 9, No. 2, June 2002
In This Issue
Researchers Prepare for Threat from New Soybean
Disease
The fungal disease known as soybean rust has long been a factor limiting
soybean production in Australia and parts of Asia. Rust is caused by two fungal
pathogens, of which the Asian form is much more aggressive. Yield losses of more
than 80 percent have been reported from experimental trials in that region. The
much milder form of the disease has existed in South America and the Caribbean
for many years with only minor problems.
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Glenn Hartman, USDA plant pathologist at the U
of I, examines soybean plants fro any signs of the fungal disease soybean
rust. The recent discovery of this disease in South America for the first
time has led scientists to begin a comprehensive research program aimed at
meeting the potential threat if it reaches the U.S. in the next few years. |
Recently, however, the more aggressive Asian form has spread to Africa and to
the major producing areas of Brazil and Paraguay in South America. And,
according to Glen Hartman, a USDA Agricultural Research Service plant
pathologist at the University of Illinois, that development has left the United
States vulnerable to future outbreaks of this major disease.
"Asian rust was found for the first time in South America during late 2001
and again in 2002, where it has caused severe damage to some fields on
susceptible varieties," Hartman says. "The fungus produces airborne spores that
are carried by winds in the upper atmosphere and could potentially be carried by
tourists and movement of plant materials. With so much movement between the U.S.
and South America, entry of this disease into North America now seems
inevitable. It is imperative that our soybean industry is prepared to combat
this potentially destructive disease once it is introduced."
He notes that a USDA computer simulation indicated that the disease could
cause yield losses up to 40 percent in the major production areas if it becomes
established in the U.S.
"The yield losses result from rust lesions which cover most of the leaf area
and cause premature defoliation," Hartman says. "Both of those factors greatly
reduce photosynthesis in the plants. Heavily infected plants also have fewer
pods and lighter seeds. Marketable yields are reduced even more by the resulting
poor seed quality."
To help counter this threat, Hartman and collaborators X. B. Yang from Iowa
State University and Reid D. Fredrick and Morris R. Bonde from the USDAÿs
Foreign Disease-Weed Science Research Unit at Fort Detrick, Maryland have
launched a concerted research effort. With support from the United Soybean
Board, this project will examine several options for controlling this disease
and developing new sources of genetic resistance.
"One focus will be to determine the resistance and susceptibility of the
soybean varieties currently grown in the U.S.," he says. "We will be testing a
core set of varieties from both the southern and northern areas of the U.S. at
different locations worldwide where the disease already exists. In addition,
some U.S. soybean varieties will be tested at the USDAÿs biological containment
facility at Fort Detrick."
Researchers will also be screening for sources of resistance in the exotic
germplasm from the USDAÿs collection at the U of I. In addition, they will carry
out extensive testing of promising sources of resistance from varieties that
have been identified in China, Thailand, and Zimbabwe.
Hartman further points out that the potential for the disease to spread in
the U.S. will likely be dependent on the climatic patterns in different regions.
In Asia, the intensity of the disease has long been dependent on seasonal air
currents, temperatures, and moisture in the air.
"We plan to work with climatologists and soybean breeders to map the high and
low risk zones within the U.S.," he says. "This approach uses computer
simulations and geographic information systems to determine the frequencies at
which the growing seasons favor development of the disease in specific growing
areas."
In another part of the project, researchers will examine the potential use of
fungicides and other methods for economic control of the disease. The work will
especially focus on determining the optimum stage of disease development for
applying a fungicide treatment.
| "We
must learn as much as we can about this disease and how to control it
before we are confronted with a major problem." |
"This work is important because more information is needed to determine when
the best time is to apply a treatment," Hartman says. "In southern Africa, they
are managing rust by spraying fungicides up to three or four times during the
growing season. One spray, however, should be sufficient if applied at the
proper time."
He points out that such preparations can go a long way toward preventing
devastating results from the potential arrival of this disease.
"The disease is not here yet, and there certainly is no reason to panic," he
says. "Whatÿs needed is for us to be prepared. We must learn as much as we can
about this disease and how to control it before we are confronted with a major
problem. The potential disruptions to our soybean crop can be greatly reduced by
developing new sources of resistance and having management techniques in place
for controlling the threat."
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In humans, early disease detection can make a big difference. The same is
true for plants. When a disease is attacking a crop, growers need to know
exactly what pathogen is out there and sometimes they need to know fast, so they
can choose the appropriate control strategy-much like a physician needs to know
what strain of bacteria a patient has in order to prescribe the most effective
antibiotic. Growers, too, depend on the accuracy and speed of pathogen
detection.
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| Terry Niblack, nematologist at the U of
I, collects samples of soybean cyst nematode for testing in the
laboratory. The recent acquisition of a computerized, high-speed
microscope for counting SCN eggs will drastically decrease the
time it takes to conduct tests on soybean varieties for resistance
to nematodes. |
Researchers at the University of Illinois are excited about a new piece of
equipment that will allow them to detect plant pathogens quickly and cheaply and
to quantify disease-causing organisms in plants and soil samples. The equipment
is known as real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (QPCR). It uses a
laser and fluorescent probes to monitor the exponential increase of DNA
molecules in real time. This method allows for fast, reliable identification of
pathogens.
"Another piece of the equipment is a computerized, high-speed microscope for
counting soybean cyst nematode eggs," says Terry Niblack, nematologist in the
Department of Crop Sciences at the U of I. "This equipment will drastically
decrease the time it takes to conduct tests on new strains of soybean to
determine if the new soybean is resistant to nematodes."
Plant pathogens cause billions of dollars of damage to crop production every
year in Illinois. Currently plant pests and diseases are managed using chemical
pesticides, resistant plant varieties, and crop rotation strategies. But no
matter what control strategy is used, an assessment of control effectiveness is
essential to determine what pathogen types are in the field and if these
pathogen populations are increasing or decreasing over time.
One soybean disease, Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS), which is caused by a fungal
pathogen called Fusarium solani, is slow-growing, which makes difficult
to get accurate counts using the current testing methods.
"A technique has been developed to use QPCR for rapid and accurate diagnosis
and detection of the Sudden Death Syndrome pathogen in soil and soybean plants,"
says Dean Malvick, plant pathologist with U of I Extension.
Although the tests can be performed cheaply, the purchase price of the
equipment is not cheap.
"Because this specialized equipment is so expensive, individual labs can't
justify the expense," says Kris Lambert, assistant professor in crop sciences.
"Many agencies that give grants will provide funds for projects but not for
expensive equipment so we feel very fortunate to receive funding to purchase the
equipment through a Sentinel Grant from the Illinois Council for Food and
Agricultural Research (C-FAR)."
The equipment will be used by many researchers at the University of Illinois
on a wide variety of research projects.
"A common theme among these researchers is that they have projects they would
like to conduct, but lack the state-of-the-art instrumentation they need, so
this equipment will be busy," Lambert says. "It will be used for pathogen
detection in breeding programs, research labs and through extension services out
in the fields to help farmers."
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Representatives from international organizations, such as Save the Children
and Africare, recently participated in an intensive workshop at the National
Soybean Research Laboratory (NSRL) on increasing the use of soy in their aid
efforts. The session was organized by the World Initiative for Soy in Human
Health (WISHH).
"One of the major goals for the WISHH program is to introduce soy protein
products in food aid programs," says Pradeep Khanna, program coordinator at the
NSRL. "Activities range from developing ways soy can increase the protein in
breads suitable for Afghanistan and central Asian countries to identifying new
uses for soy protein isolates and concentrates."
Primary funding for the program is provided by the United Soybean Board and
the American Soybean Association. Additional funding has come from the Illinois
Soybean Checkoff Board and state soybean organizations from across the country.
The NSRL provides technical support and program leadership for a wide range of
projects sponsored by WISHH.
| "WISHH is also Building Long-Term Relationships in Countries that
Could Grow to Become Customers for U.S. Soy Products." |
Khanna notes that one important project resulted when the relief
efforts in Afghanistan uncovered an important need to increase the
protein content of the local diet.
"The increase in protein ideally should come in the form of flat bread, which
is the major staple in the country," Khanna says. "WISHH has directly responded
to this need by collaborating with the North American Millers Association to
field test soy-fortified wheat flour, which has 12 percent soy flour in the
blend. The two groups are working to ensure the product will suit local tastes."
The intensive training program at the NSRL was specially designed to meet the
needs of private voluntary organizations in their food aid efforts. Topics
included demonstrations and evaluations of soy foods made from defatted soy
flour, textured soy protein, soy milk, and other soy protein products. During
their trip, the participants also visited a soybean farm, the Central Soya
facilities in Gibson City, Illinois and Fort Wayne, Indiana, and the Bunge plant
in Danville, Illinois.
"This workshop allows international hunger fighters to gain first-hand
knowledge of how soy and soy protein products can play an important role in
feeding the world," Khanna says. "Many of those in attendance represent aid
organizations that already use thousands of tons of U.S. soybeans and soybean
oil. It further provided them with the opportunity to interact with industry
representatives and evaluate how soy protein products can fit both their
immediate food aid efforts and their long-term economic development programs. "
As part of the workshop, representatives from private voluntary organizations
also discussed ways that soy can fit with new government initiatives to fight
world hunger and how it can provide much-needed protein for those suffering from
HIV and AIDS. An estimated 36 million people worldwide have HIV or AIDS. Some
African countries have infection rates as high as 25 to 35 percent of their
populations.
"WISHH has been working to make the nutritional benefits of soy available to
people with HIV and other devastating diseases around the world," Khanna says.
"In many cases, nutrition intervention may be the primary effort to assist those
people. The importance of nutrition intervention is amplified where medications
are unavailable. The vast majority of recommended calorie-containing nutritional
supplement products contain soy ingredients for optimum nutrition."
The activities to assist people living with AIDS include collaborating with
leading nutritionists to better understand and develop the benefits of soy for
targeted programs and communicating these results domestically and
internationally. Other efforts are aimed at supporting private voluntary
organizations, such as Humana People to People, to create soy restaurants as
part of its Total Control of the Epidemic program.
"Additional activities have led to the development of demonstration feeding
programs to provide new scientific research and best practices for using soy in
target countries," Khanna says. "Another major focus is on working with
non-governmental agencies to develop testing and feeding programs with
value-added soy products that can provide badly needed protein in the diet,
especially for children and young mothers."
As part of this effort, WISHH is also building long-term relationships in
countries that could grow to become customers for U.S. soy products. More than a
million metric tons of U.S. soybeans have annually gone into food aid in recent
years, representing 3 percent of total U.S. soybean exports. Many former food
aid recipients, such as the Philippines and Korea, are now important long-term
commercial customers for U.S. soybeans products.
"Most future growth in food demand will be in developing and middle-income
countries," Khanna says. "Almost all of the worldÿs projected increase of 1.2
billion people by 2020 will be in these countries. The middle-income classes of
developing countries are also expected to grow by 68 percent from mid-1990s
levels during the next four years. That represents an increase equal to the
current combined populations of Japan and the European Union."
Khanna further points out that the WISHH program routinely leverages the
soybean checkoff funds by cooperating with humanitarian groups and government
agencies, as well as the international marketing staff at the American Soybean
Association.
"The project offers a win-win situation for soybean growers," he says. "It
can provide a better diet for millions of people around the world, while
reducing the current surplus of soybeans in the U.S. By working with private
voluntary organizations, we can ensure that soy products go to the places where
they will do the most good."
Additional information about a wide range of WISHH activities and programs is
available on the internet at
www.wishh.org.
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When it comes to feeding livestock, the soybean industry today
produces only one type of soybean meal for all livestock. So, pigs and
chickens are being fed the same feed and not surprisingly, with
differing digestibility success.
"Although soybean meal is used extensively in poultry diets, they
actually digest soybean meal very poorly," says Neal Merchen, professor
of animal nutrition in the Department of Animal Sciences at the
University of Illinois. "Consequently, the poultry are not getting all
of the energy and nutritional value that's possible."
| "It will Open Up New Niche Market Opportunities for these
Smaller Producers" |
Merchen is one of eight scientists at the U of I. who are working to
develop soybean meal that would be species-specific and would have
tremendous advantages over the one-size-fits-all soybean meal currently
being produced.
"The results of this project will also help the small-to-medium
sized soybean producers," Merchen says. "Because a higher value, more
nutritionally-specific soybean meal will be developed, it will open up
new niche market opportunities for these smaller producers. We'll help
them increase their profits and the efficiency of their operation."
Currently, it is difficult for small soybean producers and new
producers to gain a foothold in the market because the primary
purchasing decision for commodities, like soybean, is based on the
price, Merchen says. Developing a specific soybean meal for pigs and
another one for poultry will create a more defined market in which
smaller producers will be able to be competitive. The soybean meal
project is funded through a Sentinel Grant from the Illinois Council for
Food and Agricultural Research (C-FAR).
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 A new cookbook that presents tofu as a healthy and delicious
ingredient suitable for everyday use in the American kitchen has been
published by the Illinois Center for Soy Foods at the University of
Illinois. This lavishly illustrated, full-color publication entitled
Tofu in the American Kitchen is the first in a planned series
of soy foods cookbooks.
"Probably the most readily available soy food is tofu, which can be
purchased in nearly every supermarket," says Barbara Klein, editor of
the book and co-director of the Center. "This new cookbook was
specifically developed to provide some easy ideas for adapting tofu into
typical American recipes and to encourage consumers to add it to their
own recipes."
Klein notes that this new book fits well with the goal of the Center,
which is to encourage consumers in the U.S. to eat more healthy products
made from soy.
"With this book, the average person can discover how to transform
everyday dishes into healthy, delicious meals that deliver plenty of
nutrition and flavor," Klein says. "We show step-by-step how to cook
with soy and still enjoy the tastes and textures that people have grown
up with. Best of all, the book provides a wide variety of dishes that
the entire family will like."
Tofu in the American Kitchen contains numerous tasty recipes
ranging from salads to desserts, as well as many appetizing entrees. All
the recipes were developed and extensively tested by the staff at the
Center.
"Although tofu seems like a natural addition to Asian recipes,
American cooks have remained puzzled about using it in everyday
cooking," she says. "Now we can show just how easily this healthy
ingredient can be added to the foods that all of us are used to eating.
We have recipes for everything from lasagna and tacos to coconut pie and
cheesecake. And, most importantly, it all tastes good."
She points out that adding tofu to the diet also represents an easy
way to gain the many health benefits from soy protein. The U.S. Food and
Drug Administration has recently approved a health claim for soy foods
that acknowledged the connection between consuming soy and decreasing
the chance of developing cardiovascular disease.
"Extensive research has confirmed that eating 25 grams of soy protein
per day, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol, may
reduce the risk of heart disease," Klein
says. "This fact provides another example of how using tofu and other
soy foods can add affordable, flavorful, and healthful components to the
diet."
The cookbook was designed in an easy-to-use format, with a spiral
binding that allows it to lay flat for efficient use in the kitchen.
Nutritional information, including calorie, fat, carbohydrate, and
protein counts, is provided for each recipe. It also contains helpful
general information on buying, storing, and efficiently using tofu.
Tofu in the American Kitchen is available at all major
bookstores in the Champaign-Urbana area, including Pages For All Ages,
Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Borders Books and Music, and the Illini
Union Bookstore. It also can be ordered at a price of $15 per copy by
calling toll free at (800)345-6087.
Additional information, sample recipes, and an on-line order form for
the cookbook are also available on the internet at
www.soyfoodsillinois.uiuc.edu.
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 Generally we do not address research results in this space. However, in this
column Iÿd like to discuss some intriguing findings about emerging consumer
interests in soy foods. For years, the conventional wisdom was that American
consumers had strong negative attitudes towards soy. Indeed no discussion of soy
foods was complete without mention of someoneÿs negative experience with
meatless hamburgers in high school.
Recently one of our students, Laure Nasse, conducted a very interesting
analysis of perceptions of a segment of soy consumers in completing her MS
thesis in agricultural and consumer economics. Professors Brian Wansink, Randy
Westgren, and I served on the thesis committee. This project included an
in-depth analysis of 50 soy consumers in the Champaign-Urbana area, who had been
identified as relatively heavy consumers of soy. The findings proved extremely
interesting because of the absence of negative perceptions of soy. To summarize
these findings, Laure defined five prototype consumers, illustrating the types
of benefits these consumers expect to attain by consuming soy.
The first prototype is the creative cook. Soy products for this consumer
encourage creativity in cooking. It seems that price can be set relatively high
because creative cooks are not primarily interested in inexpensive food. Gourmet
food can be sold at a premium price. Soy foods can be distributed to this
consumer in supermarkets, gourmet food stores and health stores. Promotions
should emphasize the creativity of soy foods in cooking and the healthy, natural
image of soy.
The next prototype is the ethical consumer, who is interested in soy foods
that are high in protein and in variety. The ethical consumer sees the health
properties of soy as a positive attribute. However, above a certain price, the
people in this group feel that they are paying more for the healthy image than
for the real product. Product promotions should emphasize a healthy, natural
image and communicate the health benefits through trusted third parties, such as
doctors or dieticians.
The third consumer prototype, the body conscious consumer, seeks to build
muscle mass and stay healthy. This type of consumer appreciates products that
are full of flavor, packaged in a way that puts forward the nutritional benefits
of soy foods, especially their protein content. Body-conscious consumers would
like to find soy foods on campus, in sorority houses, cafeterias and in
supermarkets. Promotion may involve direct sampling, so that body-conscious
customers realize that soy foods can taste good.
The fourth prototype, the carpe diem adept,
appreciates the versatility and variety of soy foods. This consumer likes convenient
products
that are relatively low in fat. As these people have children, they would
probably like new versions of popular soy foods packaged for children. The
interviews suggested that the price must give the consumer "a good value" although
the carpe diem adept is ready to pay for the health benefits of
soy foods. Direct sampling and communication of the health benefits of soy foods
for the whole family would help reach this consumer segment.
The fifth consumer prototype is the achiever. This consumer has little time
to devote to food, so products targeted to this segment should be easy to
use
and come in large quantities. The package needs to be resealable and carry
adequate guidelines. The achiever seems ready to purchase a "good-value" product
in her usual grocery store. This consumer segment eats soy foods to "cancel
out"
unhealthy food behaviors. Placing soy snacks in the snack aisle and next to the
candy bars would position soy foods as a healthy alternative. As this consumer
segment craves for belonging, commercials should show healthy people
socializing.
Several consumer segments are interested in soy for a variety of reasons.
Consumers who eat soy foods on a regular basis are no longer only Asians or
vegetarians. They do not consider soy as a cheap alternative to meat. On the
contrary, they feel that they get "something more" when eating soy.
Their perception of the taste of soy is positive not a negative. Soy tastes
bland, but
this is now an appreciated characteristic, either because it is a nice change
or
because this challenges the consumer's cooking creativity.
Steve Sonka
NSRL Director and Soybean Industry Chair in
Agricultural Strategy
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The NSRL Bulletin is published three times a year by the National Soybean
Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, 170 National Soybean Research
Center, 1101 W. Peabody Drive, Urbana, IL 61801; telephone (217) 244-1706;
e-mail nsrl@uiuc.edu; FAX (217) 244-1707.
Steven T. Sonka, director; Robert J. Wynstra, editor; Debra Levey Larson,
contributing editor, David Riecks,
photographer; Lynn Hawkinson Smith,
graphic designer. 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.
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