A newly hired Iowa State University scientist will be working with soybean producers to fight fungal diseases.
 

The Iowa Soybean Association is providing $500,000 to support the position for fungal disease research over the next three years. The association also will provide $500,000 in competitive grant funding over three years for research projects related to the investigation of fungal pathogens.

 

Leonor Leandro, assistant professor of plant pathology, was hired in May.

"Leandro will research fungal diseases of soybean and in particular is ready to work on Asian soybean rust if this disease develops into a major problem. Her efforts will be embedded in the national research efforts to discover science-based solutions to fight this disease," said Thomas Baum, Iowa State plant pathology department chair.

Soybean rust is a potentially devastating fungal disease, that was discovered in the United States in 2004. The disease has not moved into the Midwest. In 2003, the Iowa Soybean Rust Team, a partnership of agencies including Iowa State was formed to prepare Iowa, the nation's leading soybean producing state, for the arrival of the disease.

Along with teaching duties, Leandro also will focus on researching soybean diseases such as sudden death syndrome and soybean root rot.

Leandro has worked as a plant pathologist at North Carolina State University since 2002. She earned her Ph.D. in plant pathology at Iowa State, her master's degree in environmental science from the University of Nottingham in England and her bachelor's degree in agricultural science from the Instituto Superior de Agronomia in Lisbon, Portugal.

"What I like about this position is that I get to work on fungi while helping producers manage soybean diseases," Leandro said. "I want to improve soybean productivity, so I direct my research towards solving real problems producers are facing."

Brian Kemp, director of the Iowa Soybean Association and a grower near Sibley, said the new fungal pathologist position is important to Iowa producers because it focuses on two main problems facing producers - soybean rust and fungal root pathogens.

 

"Leandro is a researcher that will interact well with producers," Kemp said. "She has a good mix of interests in laboratory and field research. Both will help her develop a program to address issues that are important to Iowa producers."

The Iowa Soybean Association is a volunteer board of 17 Iowa soybean farmers elected by producers to maximize the profitability of Iowa soybean producers by investing and administering checkoff funds in research, market development and education activities.

The collaboration between the Iowa Soybean Association and the College of Agriculture is helping Iowa in a nationwide effort to prepare producers for soybean rust. David Wright, director of contract research and strategic initiatives at the Iowa Soybean Association, said Leandro will focus on providing solutions to fight soil-borne fungal pathogens.
 

"Leandro helps fill a need at Iowa State University in focusing on soybean root health," Wright said. "Most yield loss in Iowa comes from soil problems - either soybean cyst nematodes, soil borne fungal pathogens or high pH soils and Leandro's work will help us manage these problems."