Soybean and Sunflower Disease Surveillance
Overview
This project focuses on early-stage regional surveillance of soybean and sunflower diseases in South Africa. The work currently builds on observations collected during the Agricultural Research Council’s - National Cultivar Trials for soybean and sunflower, allowing disease data to be recorded alongside across multiple locations.
At present, the project is primarily observational and focuses on establishing baseline knowledge of disease occurrence, distribution, and seasonal dynamics. As the platform develops, it is intended to expand to include molecular diagnostics, pathogen characterisation, and population studies. We also see this platform as an opportunity for collaboration and welcome new ideas from future collaborators that can build on and extend this work.
Focus areas
- Field-based surveillance of key diseases affecting soybean and sunflower production systems.
- Documentation of disease occurrence across locations participating in the National Cultivar Trials.
- Integration of molecular diagnostics and pathogen identification as the project evolves.
- Development of a platform that can support future resistance screening and early detection tools.
Collaboration and support
This project is supported by the technical efforts of our laboratory and field technicians who assist with disease observations, sampling, and data management. Their contributions are essential to building this surveillance platform.
We are grateful for funding and support from:
- The Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI)
- The Technology Innovation Agency (TIA)
- The Oil and Protein Seeds Development Trust (OPDT)
- The Oilseeds Advisory Committee (OAC)
- The South African Cultivar and Technology Agency (SACTA)
- Grain SA
Their support enables the development of surveillance platforms that strengthen disease awareness, research capacity, and future management strategies for South African producers.
Outputs
Status
- On-going
- Open to collaboration