Illinois Farm Bureau, IL
03-14-07
Soybean Rust Found in Iowa Soybeans
Soybean rust was recently discovered in Iowa, somewhat by accident, according
to the Des Moines Register.
Recently, a sample of soybeans was submitted to the Iowa Soybean Rust Team
after a farmer told a crop consultant of suspicions. No soybean rust was found on
the original sample, but some pods, seeds and one dead leaf were found in the
storage bin that were then sent for testing.
An Iowa State University researcher looked at the sample under a microscope
and saw volcano-like pustules on the leaf and spores. The university researchers
forwarded the sample to the Agriculture Department’s research facility in
Beltsville, Md., where DNA tests confirmed it was soybean rust.