Part of EPA's mission to protect human health and the environment includes strategically planning for the possibility that an invasive species could threaten food security in the United States. On November 10, 2004, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service confirmed that soybean rust-an aggressive and harmful plant disease for soybeans-has been discovered in Louisiana and, subsequently, Mississippi. Soybean rust is caused by a fungus that spreads by spores that can be carried by the wind. It is believed that spores were carried to the southeastern United States from South America during the 2004 hurricane season. The soybean plants in Louisiana and Mississippi were infected with the Asian species of the fungus, which is the most destructive variant. Yield losses of up to 80 percent have been reported in soybean-growing areas of South America and Africa as a result of untreated infection by the fungus. The arrival of soybean rust to the continental United States had been predicted by experts for some time, since it is found around the globe in soybean-producing countries and is a wind-borne disease.

As part of its homeland security program, EPA, along with USDA and state departments of agriculture, has been planning for just such an event, and EPA has approved several fungicides for soybean growers. The detection of soybean rust at this time of year, after commercial soybeans have already been harvested, should give growers some lead time for planning an integrated control strategy for the disease in the 2005 growing season. The following is a complete list of pesticides that are available as of November 16, 2004. Updates will follow if additional new products clear the pesticide registration process.

Chemicals registered or pending approval for the treatment of soybean rust

EPA approved emergency exemptions for the treatment of soybean rust (Section 18 of FIFRA)

For more information on soybean rust, please visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Web site at http://www.aphis.usda.gov/lpa/issues/sbr/sbr.html