Soybean Rust InformationCONFIRMATION – On November 10, 2004, the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA's) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) confirmed soybean rust on soybean leaf samples taken November 6, 2004, from two plots associated with a Louisiana State University (LSU) research farm. Since that initial discovery, soybean rust has been discovered nine southeastern/Midwestern states. WHAT IS SOYBEAN RUST? – Soybean rust (phakopsora pachyrhizi) is a fungal disease that is easily spread through wind-borne spores. It attacks the lower foliage of a soybean plant and then moves upward producing small lesions that increase in size and change from gray to tan to reddish brown. This causes soybean plants’ leaves to drop early, which inhibits pod setting and reduces yield. The amount of damage depends on how early in the growth of the soybean plant the infection occurs. Soybean rust disease spreads through spores transported through wind currents or on clothing or other material. Soybeans are not the only legume crops susceptible to rust. Other legumes, particularly snap beans, green beans, and pinto beans are also susceptible. SCOUTING – Learn how to scout your fields (by walking through them, not by driving the truck or tractor around them!) to identify soybean rust. When scouting for soybean rust, focus on early-planted fields with early maturing varieties, low lying or protected fields with prolonged dew periods, and fields with early canopy closure. For soybean rust detection on plants, examine lower leaves of the plant using a 10 to 20X hand lens to detect pustules (spores) on the underside of leaves. There are many plant diseases that exhibit characteristics similar to soybean rust, such as bacterial blight, bacterial pustule, downy mildew, cercospora blight and frogeye leaf spot, and brown spot. Learn how to distinguish the characteristics of each. Obtain an Identifying Soybean Rust Color leaflet from Ohio State University (OSU) Extension. Keep it with you at all times, and carry it with you when you scout fields. For confirmation and diagnosis of soybean rust contact your state plant diagnostic laboratory, the website is listed below. COLLECTING AND SUBMITTING SUSPECTED SOYBEAN RUST SAMPLES – The first rust sample found in Ohio must be documented through the C. Wayne Ellett Plant & Pest Diagnostic Clinic at Ohio State University and verified by USDA APHIS Lab. Ohio Soybean Council will pay for these samples. Click here (PDF) for instructions on how to properly submit a suspected Soybean Rust sample. USDA Pest Information Platform for Extension and Education (PIPE) For a list of approved fungicides Soybean Rust Economic Assessment APHIS Soybean Rust Information Your State Plant Diagnostic Laboratory Please note: PDF items require Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free and freely distributable software program. If you do not currently have it, you can download Adobe now. | |