March 21, 2005

Timely online info on soy rust
 

THE US Department of Agriculture has launched a Web site devoted to information and guidance on soybean rust, said US Agriculture Secretary Mike Johanns on Monday, March 21, 2005.

The one-stop resource, www.usda.gov/soybeanrust, provides information on the extent and severity of soybean rust outbreaks in the US, the Caribbean region and Central America. It will give users up-to-date forecasts on where soybean rust is likely to appear in the United States, lists the National Plant Diagnostic Networks laboratories and gives links to other Web sites.

Soybean rust is caused by one of two fungi, Phakopsora pachyrhizi, also known as the Asian species, and Phakopsora meibomiae, the New World species. The Asian species is the more aggressive, causing more damage to soybean plants.