Mato Grosso do Sul: the soy sanitary vacuum comes into force
Rafael Moreira, a researcher at Embrapa Soja, exposes the importance of the period of sanitary emptiness for combating the fungus that causes Asian rust.
“Rust is caused by a fungus that needs the living soybean plant to survive. So if you don’t have the plant in the environment, in the field, in the field, the rust fungus spores survive for a maximum of fifty days. So if he doesn’t find the plants, he will fall and die. And this will reduce the population of the fungus”, he explains.
The fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi, which causes Asian rust, a disease that can cause up to 75% of crop losses and has a high capacity for reproduction and dissemination.
According to Ordinance No. 781/2023 of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa), the ban runs from June 15 to September 15. The Sanitary Empty periods are established annually by the Map and must be followed by the producing states, across the country.
Main soy producing municipalities in Mato Grosso do Sul:
- maracaju
- Ponta Porã
- Sidrolândia
- golden
- Sao Gabriel do Oeste
- Aral Moreira
- bright river
- Naviraí
- Carapã Lagoon
- Chapadão do Sul
In the 2022-2023 summer harvest, Mato Grosso do Sul recorded 57 cases of Asian rust, second only to Paraná, with 83 cases. The highest number of cases was registered in the municipality of Naviraí, with a total of 16 cases.
Violation of the soy fallow period can result in penalties such as the interdiction of the property, fines, destruction of the plantation, and even criminal liability of the owner, according to article nº 259 of the Brazilian Penal Code, which provides for imprisonment from 2 to 5 years, in addition to a fine for those who spread disease or plague that may cause damage to the forest, plantation or animals of economic utility. In the case of guilt, the punishment is imprisonment from 1 to 6 months, or a fine.
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By Brasil 61
