(CHAMPAIGN) The impending closure of a University of Illinois soybean research lab due to federal funding cuts could impede the study of a fungal disease that experts say would decimate the crop if it makes its way into the United States. The evasive Red Leaf Blotch has not been detected in America so far, but in Africa, it’s causing anywhere from 50% to 75% crop yield loss in soybeans. While the Soybean Innovation Lab on the Champaign campus does not actually test viruses like the Red Leaf Blotch, it does oversee a network of laboratories around the world that works to advance soybean development and fight diseases. The USDA uses the lab’s network to test for disease resistance and more.
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