Soybean Rust Appears Ready to Repeat History in 2009

Soybean Rust has been a threat lurking in the background of our soybean production seasons since it discovery in the US in November of 2004. SBR's overwintering location in the southern US and the biology of the disease have not come together to threaten the main soybean production areas of the midwest during the growing season. The 2009 season appears to be following the pattern of past growing season-soybean rust is in the south in isolated areas and development is slow enough that we are not concerned in Northwest Ohio. Shown are observation map from June 25, 2008 and 2009. The 2009 map shows more counties with observations of soybean rust as compared to 2008 but the progression has slowed as the weather has dried. This is good news in that the threat of soybean rust is not any greater than historically for 2009.

For more information on SBR see the Ohio State University Soybean Rust website or the SBR PIPE website for US observation information.