November 11, 2004

Soybean Rust Confirmed in the United States
 
The US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has confirmed the presence of soybean rust on soybean leaf samples taken from two plots associated with a Louisiana State University research farm Saturday.

While this is the first instance of soybean rust to be found in the United States, the detection comes at a time when most soybeans have been harvested across the country. The impact of the fungus should be minimal this year due to the harvest.

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

USDA will dispatch its soybean rust detection assessment team, composed of scientific experts and regulatory officials, to the site within 24 hours. The assessment team will work closely with Louisiana State Department of Agriculture representatives to assess the situation and conduct surveillance around the detection site to determine the extent of the disease spread.

Source: USDA