The first detection of P. pachyrhizi in the new world was in Paraguay in February of 2001, after which it rapidly spread to Brazil and Argentina. It is suspected that the hurricanes of 2004 carried the spores to the southern United States. Soybean rust is easily spread when spores are blown by the wind, making it impossible to control through quarantines. There are, as yet, no resistant varieties available to producers.�

P. pachyrhizi infects over 95 species of uncultivated or wild plants and edible legumes such as soybeans. Among these uncultivated host plants is Kudzu (Pueraria lobata), which is widespread in the U.S. and could serve as an inoculum reservoir or bridge host for rust in the southern U.S. Kudzu growing along roadsides and in ditch banks in Brazil and Paraguay has been severely infected with rust.�

The potential yield impact of soybean rust in 2005 is nearly impossible to anticipate but has negatively affected up to 80 percent of yield in other countries. The impact will presumably be�

influenced by the geographic extent of the incidence of the disease, the timing of its occurrence, and the effectiveness of control measures.

The Alabama Soybean and Corn Association will meet Feb. 12 in Huntsville to discuss soybean rust prevention. Producers are strongly encouraged to attend this meeting to learn how to control soybean rust.

For more information on soybean rust, please visit www.aphis.usda. gov.