Soybean disease loss estimates for the top ten soybean-producing counries in 1998

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) disease loss estimates were compiled for the 1998 harvested crop from the top 10 soybean-producing countries in the world. These 10 countries (United States, Brazil, China, Argentina, India, Canada, Paraguay, Indonesia, Italy, and Bolivia) produced 97.6% of the world's total soybean crop in 1998. Total yield losses caused by soybean cyst [Heterodera glycines Ichinohe] in these 10 countries were greater than those caused by any other disease. Next in decreasing order of total yield reduction were brown spot [Septoria glycines (Hemmi)], charcoal rot [Macrophomina phaseolina (Tassi) Goidanich], and sclerotinia stem rot [Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary]. The total yield loss due to diseases in these countries in 1998 was 28.5 × 106 t, valued at U.S. $6.29 × 109. Yield losses due to specific diseases varied by country. For example, yield losses due to rust were reported only from China and Indonesia. Soybean disease controls are needed to provide more effective preventive and therapeutic disease management strategies and systems to producers.