Environmental factors are critical to the incidence and severity of ASR. Figure 2 shows the pattern of ASR’s spread throughout the world. 2005 ASR Efforts Showed Benefits of a National Coordination Strategy and Highlight the Importance of Consistent Data and Strong Leadership

USDA’s development and implementation of a coordinated framework was  instrumental in providing an effective response to ASR on soybeans in  2005. However, inconsistencies in how researchers  monitor, test, and report on the disease could lead to incomplete or  inaccurate data and detract from the value of future prediction models. Sentinel  plots—typically about 2,500 square feet of soybeans, other host plants, or a  combination of the two—are planted a few weeks before the beginning of  the growing season and serve as an advance warning of approaching ASR. In total, states monitored more than 1,000 sentinel plots in 2005. Outreach for Training, Education, and Information Dissemination Was Effective in 2005 and Is Planned to Continue in 2006

In preparation for the 2005 growing season, USDA and the 31  soybean-producing states we surveyed sponsored about 1,500  presentations, programs, and workshops on ASR. Several states also displayed ASR information on their state Web sites. Lack of an Action Plan Describing How Leadership Responsibilities Will Be Assumed and Managed in 2006 Raises Concerns About a Sustained National Effort for ASR

The national effort for ASR during the 2005 growing season was directed by  senior APHIS headquarters officials, who coordinated the federal, state,  and industry effort to develop the framework. Changes to the successful management approach employed by USDA in  2005 raise questions about how the program will perform in 2006. EPA, USDA, and Others Have Made More Fungicides Available While Continuing to Develop Longer-Term Solutions

As of December 31, 2005, EPA had approved a total of 20 fungicide  products for treating ASR on soybeans, including 12 for which emergency  exemptions were granted. For the longer term, USDA,  universities, and private companies are conducting research to develop  ASR-resistant or -tolerant soybeans but expect that these will not be  available commercially for 5 to 9 years. In terms of the availability of application equipment and fungicides in 2005,  the officials we surveyed in the nine states where ASR was confirmed  reported no problems with access to equipment. Commercialization may take an additional 2 to 4 years. Going forward, however, differences in how researchers monitor, test, and  report on the disease could detract from the value of future prediction  models. In written comments, USDA said that the  report fairly describes USDA’s preparations related to ASR. Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

To determine the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) strategy for  minimizing the effects of Asian Soybean Rust (ASR) now that the disease  has arrived in the continental United States and the lessons learned that  could be used to improve future efforts, we interviewed officials from  USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the  Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES),  the Agricultural Research Service, the Farm Service Agency (FSA), and the  Risk Management Agency (RMA) to identify efforts that have been  implemented since November 2004. To determine the progress that USDA, the Environmental Protection  Agency (EPA), and others have made in developing, testing, and licensing  fungicides to treat ASR and in identifying and breeding ASR-resistant or  -tolerant soybeans, we interviewed officials from EPA and state  departments of agriculture to obtain information about their efforts to  license fungicides to treat ASR. 23. Related GAO Products

Agriculture Production: USDA’s Preparation for Asian Soybean Rust. GAO-05-668R.
Why GAO Did This Study

In 2005, U.S. agriculture faced potentially devastating losses from Asian Soybean Rust (ASR), a fungal disease that spreads airborne spores. Fungicides approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) can protect against ASR. In 2005, growers in 31 states planted about 72.2 million soybean acres worth about $17 billion. While favorable weather conditions limited losses due to ASR, it still threatens the soybean industry. In May 2005, GAO described the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) efforts to prepare for ASR's entry, (Agriculture Production: USDA's Preparation for Asian Soybean Rust, GAO-05-668R). This report examines (1) USDA's strategy to minimize ASR's effects in 2005 and the lessons learned to improve future efforts and (2) USDA, EPA, and others' efforts to develop, test, and license fungicides for ASR and to identify and breed soybeans that tolerate it.

What GAO Found

USDA developed and implemented a framework--with federal and state agencies, land grant universities, and industry--that effectively focused national attention on ASR in 2005 and helped growers make informed fungicide decisions. The framework was effective in several ways. For example, sentinel plots--about 2,500 square feet of soybeans or other host plants planted early in the growing season in the 31 soybean-producing states--provided early warning of ASR. Officials in 23 of 25 states GAO surveyed reported that this effort was effective. Researchers could also promptly identify and report on the incidence and severity of the disease on a USDA Web site, alerting officials and growers to ASR's spread. Going forward, however, differences in how researchers monitor, test, and report on the disease could lead to incomplete or inaccurate data and detract from the value of future prediction models. For example, models to forecast ASR's spread partly rely on states' observations of sentinel plots. USDA asked states to report results weekly, but updates ranged from 4 reports, in total, during the growing season in one state to 162 reports in another state. Inconsistencies also occurred in the designation and placement of plots and in the testing of samples for ASR. Further, changes to the successful management approach employed by USDA in 2005 raise questions about how the program will perform in 2006. For 2006, most operational responsibility for ASR will shift from USDA headquarters to a land grant university. GAO is concerned that USDA's lack of a detailed action plan describing how program responsibilities will be assumed and managed in 2006 could limit the effectiveness of ASR management for this year. EPA, USDA, and others increased the number of fungicides growers can use to combat ASR while efforts continue to develop ASR-tolerant soybeans. As of December 2005, EPA had approved 20 fungicides for treating ASR on soybeans, including 12 that had emergency exemptions. According to officials in the nine states where ASR was confirmed in 2005, growers had access to fungicides. USDA, universities, and private companies are also developing ASR-tolerant soybeans and have identified 800 possible lines of resistant soybeans, out of a total of 16,000 lines. USDA estimates it may take 5 to 9 years to develop commercially available ASR-tolerant soybeans.