October 31, 2005

Three more Asian soybean rust discovered in US state Alabama
 

The latest counties to confirm positive Asian rust finds are Marengo, Dallas and St. Clair in Alabama, USDA announced Thursday.

Ed Sikora, professor and extension plant pathologist at Auburn University, via the USDA's official soybean rust Web site on Thursday, said soybean rust was detected in Marengo and Dallas Counties in west-central Alabama in two commercial soybean fields on Thursday.

"The field in Marengo County was approximately 30 acres in size, and the field in Dallas County was four acres in size. We also confirmed soybean rust on one kudzu leaf collected from St. Clair County on Oct 22. The leaf was incubated and rust was detected on Oct 27."

Pickens County in South Carolina is the farthest north location and Horry county South Carolina is the farthest east location where soybean rust has been found in 2005. Pearl River County in Mississippi is the farthest west that rust has been found in 2005.

Alabama now has 29 counties reported positive with rust; Florida has 23; Georgia has 31; Mississippi has two; and South Carolina has five. Some 35 counties reported soybean rust in August, with 10 reports for September and 29 so far in October.

As the growing season has finished or nearly finished in most regions, the threat of rust has diminished. It may be expected that rust will continue to be found in more counties within states already reporting rust and in adjacent states without causing any economic damage.