12-2-2004 |
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Continuing discoveries of soybean rust (SBR) throughout southeastern states has West Virginia agricultural officials concerned about the possibility of the disease appearing in the Mountain State during next year's growing season. The first case of the disease in the United States was discovered in Louisiana November 10. According to the USDA-APHIS Soybean Rust update for December 1, 2004, states with confirmed SBR are: Tennessee, Louisiana, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Missouri and South Carolina. More than 90 species of legumes can be a host for SBR, including many in West Virginia. "The experts here in the West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) don't believe the soybean rust spores can survive our state's winter climate, but they fear it will begin migrating out of southern states in the spring," said Commissioner of Agriculture Gus R. Douglass. Federal investigators believe the airborne spores from the soybean rust fungus may have hitched rides from South America to the southeastern United States on the past summer's numerous hurricanes and tropical storms. Prevailing winds could deliver spores from the Southeast to West Virginia next year. "We grow approximately 16,000 acres of soybeans here in West Virginia, and we want farmers to be on the lookout for any sign of the disease so that we can document any spread of the disease nationally," said Gary Gibson, Acting Director of WVDA's Plant Industries Division. "This species can dramatically decrease soybean yields - as high as 80 percent in some cases - so it's important that we get a handle on it as quickly as possible," Gibson said. The disease is not causing problems this year because most of the commercial soybean crop has already been harvested and the disease has not been documented outside of southeastern states. Generally, the disease causes reddish-brown lesions on the undersides of lower leaves of the soybean plant. Once the fungus begins producing spores, the disease can spread rapidly, by wind or by humans moving between farms or plots. SBR was first reported in Japan in 1903. Besides the U.S., the disease is currently found in Africa, Asia, Australia, Hawaii and South America. For more information, contact the WVDA's Plant Industries Division at 304-558-2212.
The West Virginia Department of Agriculture protects plant, animal and human health through a variety of scientific, regulatory and consumer protection programs, as mandated by state law. The Commissioner of Agriculture is one of six statewide elected officials in West Virginia. Currently, Commissioner Gus R. Douglass is the longest-serving agriculture commissioner in the nation. For more information, visit www.wvagriculture.org. |
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