Source: University of Nebraska Lincoln - Crop Watch

Products for fighting soybean rust have already been approved for use in Nebraska, Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Deputy Director Greg Ibach said Thursday.

“We have been aware for some time of the potential for this disease to reach the United States,” Ibach said. “NDA began working with the Environmental Protection Agency earlier this year to get prior approval for fungicide products that producers could use to treat affected fields if the disease was to arrive here. We already have approval for six products and are hoping that an additional four products will be approved for use before next crop season.”

Soybean rust is spread primarily by wind-borne spores capable of being transported over long distances. USDA has indicated it believes the disease arrived in the United States on winds produced during the hurricane season.

Ibach said it is not a certainty that the soybean rust will spread to Nebraska by next crop year, but he encouraged producers to use the winter months to become educated about the disease and their options for treating their soybeans.

“We have made the soybean treatment products available through our efforts with the Environmental Protection Agency, and I expect we will be conducting survey work to monitor for the disease’s presence in Nebraska. However, producers will likely be the first ones to spot the disease, so I encourage them to educate themselves about it,” Ibach said.

NDA Bureau of Plant Industry Administrator Rich Reiman said it’s important to note that the application of chemicals will only be necessary if soybean plants actually get the disease next season.

“It will be important for producers to become educated about what to look for during the growing season,” he said. “The University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension has excellent resources,” he said, and will be conducting informational sessions this winter.