Weather conditions in the Southeast this week have created a "serious threat" for spread of soybean rust in the region, according to The North American Plant Disease Forecast Center at North Carolina State University.

The center issued a report on Monday, saying "sky conditions were highly favorable for spore survival."

A weather system this week featuring heavy rains was expected to deposit airborne spores on Monday and Tuesday. The conditions were producing a "strongly moderate risk" for susceptible plants in central and northern Florida, central and southern Georgia, and eastern Alabama. Other parts of the region were regarded as low risk.

Continue article

ADVERTISEMENT

Rust spores will "most likely" be able to become airborne again before the next weather system moves into the region, the forecast center said.

On Monday, Florida officials confirmed a new finding of active soybean rust pustules and spores on kudzu in Hernando County on the Florida Gulf Coast, the Web site StopSoybeanRust.com reported. The finding was probably a continuing infection that overwintered on older leaves and spread to new growth on the plants, said Robert Leahy, plant pathologist with the Florida Department of Agriculture.

Leahy told the Web site he believes it likely that rust spores spread locally to infect new growth rather than the source being spores blown in from elsewhere.

On February 23, 2005, soybean rust was found to have overwintered on old kudzu foliage in Pasco County, one county south of Hernando.

StopSoybeanRust.com is a Web site with news, information and resources about Asian soybean rust, created by the Greenbook, Dealer & Applicator magazine and Successful Farming magazine. It is sponsored by Bayer CropScience US. Cooperating partners include the United Soybean Board and the Crop Advisor Institute.