Current Status of Soybean Rust

The current soybean rust distribution in the US has changed very little in the last month. Currently, the disease is found in a very small number of soybean sentinel plots in Florida, Louisiana, and Alabama. It is also found on kudzu in those states plus Georgia and Texas. The main difference between the present SBR distribution compared to the same date a year ago is the presence of SBR in Georgia, greater activity in Alabama and Louisiana, and less activity in Florida. There has been little spread of the disease in recent weeks, presumably due to hot, mostly dry weather. So for now, the soybean rust risk for Kentucky continues to be very low. This status could change quickly, so I encourage you not to let your guard down. Hopefully, this will be another dud year for SBR.