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Since soybean rust first reached our shores in 2004, U.S. soybean farmers have monitored the spread of this disease and have managed to avoid a catastrophic outbreak. But it’s a risky game to play because it’s nearly impossible to know when conditions, such as hurricanes blowing rust spores northward and late-planted soybeans, could give this possibly devastating disease a chance to really show what it can do.

The United Soybean Board (USB) and soybean checkoff and various state soybean boards invest funds to find soybean varieties that may be partially resistant to rust. Checkoff funds are also invested to prepare U.S. soybean farmers in case those rust-perfect conditions present themselves.

“Since 2001, checkoff funding has gone toward researching rust management and prevention methods,” says Rick Stern, USB production committee chair and soybean farmer from Cream Ridge, N.J. “This research has already led to the identification of two genes linked to rust resistance, giving us hope for a rust-resistant or partially resistant variety."

Yet if rust becomes a battle that must be waged by U.S. soybean farmers, rest assured that soybean checkoff funds will help lead the charge. The soybean checkoff puts useful tools within reach through a number of plant disease guides, including rust-specific guides. For example, the Plant Disease and Pest Management Guide and Soybean Rust Fast Facts are available at www.unitedsoybean.org/Internal/InternalOrder.aspx?libraryId=418 and www.unitedsoybean.org/Internal/InternalOrder.aspx?libraryId=242, respectively. Farmers should also contact their area extension office for region-specific information on plant diseases and management.”

A system of sentinel plots across the United States represents the first line of defense against soybean rust. State and national soybean checkoff organizations have partnered with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to fund these plots. Researchers from several land grant universities monitor the plots for any new outbreaks of the disease. The results of these scouting missions are then recorded and reported on USDA’s www.sbrusa.net and the soybean checkoff-funded www.stopsoybeanrust.com. Farmers can refer to these Web sites anytime and locate maps that show scouting results from these sentinel plots. Site users are also able to look at data collected from years before to see trends in the spread of rust. The sites also offer tips to help monitor and control the disease.

Many states also have phone hotlines with a recorded rust report, giving farmers the option of calling in for disease status. By having the ability to track rust, researchers and farmers can keep a close eye on this threat and plan ahead. Researchers often recommend that soybean farmers scout their fields once a week to monitor for signs of disease or pests. Although soybean rust remains difficult to spot, requiring a magnifying glass to check the underside of low leaves for lesions, there are steps farmers can take to mitigate losses in their fields if the disease is caught in its earliest stages.

USB is made up of 68 farmer-directors who oversee the investments of the soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. Checkoff funds are invested in the areas of animal utilization, human utilization, industrial utilization, industry relations, market access and supply. As stipulated in the Soybean Promotion, Research and Consumer Information Act, USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has oversight responsibilities for USB and the soybean checkoff.

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