What is soybean rust?
Soybean rust was first found in the United States Nov. 6, 2004 in Louisiana. The disease is caused by either of two fungal species – Phakopsora pachyrhizi, also know as the Asian species, and Phakopsora meibomiae, the New World species. The Asian species is the more aggressive of the two, and causes more damage to soybean plants, Jardine says. The disease is spread by wind-borne spores capable of being transported over long distances. Asian soybean rust was first observed in Japan in 1902, and was found throughout most Asian countries and in Australia by 1934.
