August 8, 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: StopSoybeanRust.com, 8 Aug 2005 [edited] <http://www.stopsoybeanrust.com/mc_home.asp>

Alert: 3 new Florida counties with rust on kudzu; Madison County is first to have rust in grower field

Florida has updated its list of counties with confirmed Asian soybean rust [ASR] infections, adding 2 more counties with [ASR] infected kudzu. Moreover, the 1st commercial soybean field in Florida is Madison county. That brings the total number of Florida counties positive for ASR in 2005 to 12, exactly half of the U.S. counties known to have ASR this year [2005].

The new counties with ASR on kudzu are Alachua (central Florida), Hamilton (north central) and one just confirmed at noon today [8 Aug 2005]: Lee County on the southwest coast of Florida. Alachua was a declared ASR-positive county in 2004, Hamilton and Lee are new counties of record.

Jim Walker, biological scientist with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Division of Plant Industry, said today [8 Aug 2005] that the announcement on the USDA site last Thursday [4 Aug 2005] was incorrect in naming Hamilton as the 1st Florida county infected with ASR in a commercial field. ASR was found
by a grower in his field in Madison County in north central Florida, one county east of infected Jefferson County, and was confirmed by PCR testing on 3 Aug 2005. Madison County also had ASR in 2004.

The Hamilton and Alachua findings confirmed in the report earlier today [8 Aug 2005] were both kudzu samples scouted by Walker and confirmed by PCR testing on 4 Aug 2005. 5 counties in a row along Florida's border with Georgia are infected with ASR; and Alachua, home to Gainesville and the University of Florida labs that test the
rust samples, joins its neighbor Marion County as an ASR-infected county in central Florida.

The Alachua kudzu patch was small, and the infection was very light, Walker said. The Hamilton County site was also small, but the infection was of moderate severity, he said. The samples were taken when it was quite dry, but Walker expects more disease activity now that it has been wet for a few days.

The Lee County kudzu sample was pulled on 2 Aug 2005 and had been in for testing until today's [8 Aug 2005] positive confirmation. Lee is on the southwest coast of Florida, home to Fort Myers. No counties along the southwest coast were positive for ASR in 2004.

Walker said the misnaming last week [final week July 2005] of Hamilton County for the soybean field finding was a typographical error. He is trying to find out more about the Madison County location shortly.

The 12 confirmed ASR-infected counties are: Dade, Hernando, Pasco, Marion, Jefferson, Leon, Gadsden, Escambia, Alachua, Madison, Hamilton and Lee.

[Byline: Marilyn Cummins]

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ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[Plant pathologists in Florida are recommending that growers consider spraying for ASR as their plants approach bloom. All soybean fields should continue to be monitored closely for disease development and sprayed with fungicide if they are ASR-infected. This recommendation is being made now because of recent positive findings on kudzu and soybean in the panhandle, experience with rapid disease increase on soybean in the Marion County sentinel plot, continuing high humidity (which favors disease development), the bloom stage of the soybean crop, and the possible involvement of tropical storms Arlene and Dennis in distributing spores.

Experts suggest that a fungicide application may be warranted. For Escambia and Hamilton and adjacent counties, the risk of disease may be higher than for the other counties in the panhandle where ASR has not been detected. However, large areas of kudzu could very well be harboring ASR, which would increase the load of ASR spores in the region.

Link:
Florida state commentary on <http://www.sbrusa.net> - Mod.DH]

August 6, 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Delta Farm Press, 5 Aug 2005 [edited] <http://deltafarmpress.com/news/080506rust-mississippi/>

Soybean rust found in Mississippi sentinel plot, Florida field

The latest incidence of Asian soybean rust [ASR] in Mississippi was found in a Poplarville-area sentinel plot sponsored by the Mississippi Soybean Promotion Board.

Meanwhile, Extension soybean specialists and plant pathologists reported more findings of ASR in Georgia this afternoon [5 Aug 2005], and more rust was also confirmed in Alabama and Florida on Thursday [4 Aug 2005].

The infection level on the Group 5 soybeans found at the Poplarville, Mississippi site was "less than half of one percent," said Alan Blaine, Mississippi Extension soybean specialist on Friday [5 Aug 2005] morning.

Blaine said farmers south of highway I-20 should apply for fungicide application, because ASR appears to be spreading a little. However, he did not think that the ASR inoculae have built up as much here as they appear to have in the Southeast. Prevailing winds look to be helping us.

Next week [2nd week August 2005], Moore and colleagues will "have an intensive look at producer fields around Hazelhurst."

On Friday [5 Aug 2005] afternoon, ASR was confirmed at 2 new sites in Georgia's Laurens and Tift counties. Tift County has already had several incidences of ASR, and the disease in Laurens County is a 1st.

In Laurens County, ASR was found on a couple of leaves out of a 100-leaf sample on plants at R-5/R-6, according to Bob Kemerait, Georgia Extension plant pathologist, but there were definitely pustules and sporulation happening.

ASR has quickened its march across the state's coastal plain. "Laurens County is on the northern edge of the plain. This is further evidence coastal plain growers need to spray their crops with a fungicide."

"Laurens County is basically at the same latitude as ASR sites in Effingham County and Auburn, AL. Since that's the case, we're beginning to look harder at northern Georgia. Producers in north Georgia may not need to spray a fungicide immediately, but they do need to be prepared to do so." Kemerait did not think it would be too long before we find ASR moving into their area.

The Tift County rust was found near Chula on a private research farm's beans at R-3. Sporulation from the site was much more pronounced than in Laurens County.

"Rust hasn't taken over the field, but there are a lot of leaves involved with many pustules. It's a bit more dramatic than what we've seen before."

The latest cases have led Kemerait to believe ASR has reached a critical phase. "I think we're now on the verge of an epidemic. Over the next few days, the weather is supposed to be rainy, and I suspect the rust is about to take off for the 1st time this year [2005]."

The latest Florida finding marked the 1st time ASR has been found in a commercial soybean field in that state. The discovery is in Hamilton County, on the north-central border with Georgia.

"The rust isn't severe at all, from the central infection, the rust might have branched out a foot or 2," said David Wright, Florida Extension soybean specialist on Friday [5 Aug 2005] morning.

Lately, growing conditions in Florida have been excellent. Since the field's canopy was so dense, "air wasn't moving through the crop very well. That's one reason infection was able to get going."

Patches of ASR have now been found across the Florida panhandle, and Wright believes current weather conditions -- daily showers and warm temperatures -- will lead to even more. "It wouldn't surprise me at all to find more rust over the next week or so. We're set up for more infection."

For that reason, "we're recommending soybean producers in the early bloom stage use a fungicide with curative effects. If weather conditions remain this damp, another application may be needed in a couple of weeks."

[Byline: David Bennett]

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ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[The possibility that an epidemic of ASR in the southern states is in the offing is disconcerting. For the 1st time in this season (2005), pathologists are openly considering applying fungicides to control ASR.

Links: <http://www.djournal.com/pages/story.asp?ID=198855&pub=1&div=News>
- Mod.DH]

[see also in the archive:
Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (FL): 1st report 2005 20050309.0693 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (GA) 20050429.1196 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (GA) 20050505.1245 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (LA) 20050624.1769 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (FL) (02) 20050620.1731 Asian soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (multistate) 20050724.2133 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (AL) 20050715.2029 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (multistate)(03) 20050714.2005 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (multistate)(02): Florida 20050708.1938 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (multistate) 20050702.1868]

From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: United States Department of Agriculture, Soybean Rust Information Site [edited] <http://www.sbrusa.net/>

National Map Commentary (updated: 5 Aug 2005)

Asian soybean rust (ASR) was reported today [6 Aug 2005] in Laurens County in Georgia and Pearl River County in Mississippi. Elmore County in Alabama and Laurens County in Georgia are the furthest north that ASR has been reported in 2005. Pearl River County, Mississippi is the furthest west that ASR has been found in 2005. Alabama now has 3 counties reported positive with ASR; Florida has 9; Georgia has 7; and Mississippi has 2. New reports for ASR are expected to continue within states already reporting the disease over the next week [2nd week August 2005], with new reports now coming in almost daily.

ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>
 
[ASR spread northward in Mississippi is a concern. Watchful waiting and vigilance are required. - Mod.DH]

Date: 6 Aug 2005
From: ProMED-mail <promed@promedmail.org>
Source: Agriculture Online - USA, 2 Aug 2005 [edited]

"Rust-like" spores reported in Champaign county Illinois

As of Tuesday [6 Aug 2005], there are no observations of Asian soybean rust [ASR] on soybean, kudzu, or other potential hosts in the top soybean state of Illinois or in neighboring states, according to an official report on the USDA's sbrusa.net web site. However, spore traps in the state have turned up 4 "rust like" spores. The unconfirmed spores were reported on 29 Jul 2005 in one Illinois spore trap in Champaign county.
 
Spraying fungicides in Illinois is not recommended at this time. The USDA forecast outlook indicates that the risk of large numbers of ASR spores being deposited in Illinois this week is low.

According to Linda Kull of the National Soybean Research Laboratory at the University of Illinois, quoting from an official USDA observation report, "Spraying at this time is premature, may result in the need for a 2nd spray later in the season, and could be a waste of time and money. USDA scientists say soybeans approaching pod and seed fill are at low or no risk of damage by ASR in Illinois. When seeds are nearly mature and begin to dry, the risk of yield loss due to ASR is very low.

The sample in question was collected from a spore trap the week of 14 Jul 2005. The spores look similar to many kinds of rusts from various hosts. Spores in traps cannot be positively identified with visual, molecular, or culturing techniques. "It is not possible to confirm whether these spores are actually ASR, but scouting in Champaign county has increased," Kull said.

In Kentucky and Tennessee, similar "rust-like" spores were reported in several traps, but there is no evidence that soybean plants or alternative hosts there have been infected with ASR.

The latest report of ASR-soybean plants is in Lee County, in Alabama, in the east-central part of the state. It represents the most northern location of soybean rust in 2005.

--
ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[ASR may be present in Illinois, but confirmation will come after laboratory tests, hopefully next week (2nd week August 2005).

Links: <http://www.agriculture.com/ag/story.jhtmlstoryid=
/templatedata/ag/story/data/agNews_050802crRUST.xml&catref=ag1001>
<http://www.sbrusa.net/>
- Mod.DH]

[see also in the archive:
Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (FL): 1st report 2005 20050309.0693 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (GA) 20050429.1196 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (GA) 20050505.1245 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (LA) 20050624.1769 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (FL) (02) 20050620.1731 Asian soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (multistate) 20050724.2133 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (AL) 20050715.2029 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (multistate)(03) 20050714.2005 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (multistate)(02): Florida 20050708.1938 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (multistate) 20050702.1868 Soybean rust, Asian strain - USA (multistate)(04) 20050806.2289]