Soybean rust appeared early this year. The mild, wet winter has resulted in a higher incidence and severity of soybean rust found on kudzu than in recent years. Soybean rust was confirmed in early planted soybean sentinel plots on June 2, at University of Florida, Quincy, NFREC. This is very early for discovery of the disease on soybean and with tropical storm Colin coming up through Florida into Georgia and the Carolina’s, it is advised to keep a close eye on soybeans that were planted in May in those areas.

Infection normally takes about 10 days to present itself, so scouting closely in mid-June is advisable along the tropical storm track. A timely fungicide application should be made when infection is first seen, as the disease can spread quickly resulting in severe yield loss as the disease progresses.

More information on Soybean rust identification and management:

2016 UGA Soybean Foliar Disease Control Guide

American Phytopathological Society – Soybean Rust

The USDA Soybean Rust Public Website – monitoring the annual spread of soybean rust

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