EN 
PT_BR The soybean health break begins this Thursday (03) in Rio Grande do Sul, which will last until September 30. During the 90-day period, it is prohibited to keep soybean plants alive at any stage of development.
The measure, established by the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (Mapa) through Ordinance 1217/2025, also defines the official soybean sowing calendar in the state, which will take place between October 1, 2025 and January 28, 2026.
The strategy aims to combat Asian rust, one of the most severe diseases of soybeans, caused by the fungus Phakopsora pachyrhizi. According to Ricardo Felicetti, director of the Department of Plant Protection of the Secretariat of Agriculture, Livestock, Sustainable Production and Irrigation (Seapi), the sanitary gap and the sowing calendar are essential to preserve chemical control tools and ensure the productivity of the crop in the state.
To monitor the disease, Rio Grande do Sul maintains the program Monitor Rust RS, which identifies the presence of fungal spores and associates this data with climate conditions to generate risk maps. This information helps technicians and producers in decision-making and adopting effective measures to manage Asian rust.
