April 11, 2005

US southern states pool information online to fight soy rust
 

Six universities in the southern United States have gone online to fight soy rust. The universities in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee have pooled information on soy rust, control strategies and sentinel plot on the Web site at www.soyrust.org.

The site also carries a list of specialists in each of the states and links to the USDA rust site.

Soybean rust is potentially one of the greatest threats most soybean farmers will ever encounter, was the main message on the site. " The Midsouth will definitely be on the front lines regarding this disease. This Web site is a compilation of our efforts. Rust information, control strategies and sentinel plot information are all available for your use."

Asian soybean rust (caused by the Phakopsora pachyrhizi fungus) was first found in Louisiana in November 2004. It has since spread to the other southern states. This fungal disease interferes with photosynthesis so the plant can't grow and yields can be severely restricted. The disease could destroy entire fields of soybeans.

Tools to fight the disease include early detection and aggressive fungicide control programmes.