A suspected soybean leaf sample screened at the University of Arkansas' plant diagnostic laboratory on Nov. 18 has tested positive for Phakopsora pachyrhizi, or soybean rust, at USDA's National Plant Germplasm and Biotechnology Laboratory in Beltsville, Md., over the weekend, a USDA official said.

Researchers at the Beltsville testing facility said on Saturday the sample was morphologically positive and was validated using polymerase chain reaction testing. The number of confirmed soybean rust infected areas in the southeast United States now stands at eleven.

While surveying areas in Crittenden County, Ark., a county extension specialist collected a soybean leaf sample with lesions consistent with soybean rust. The sample was screened at the University of Arkansas, and then sent to the NPGBL on Friday.

University of Arkansas' plant diagnostic laboratory is part of USDA's National Plant Diagnostic Network. The NPDN is made up of experts from the nation's land-grant universities. The network provides a cohesive distribution system to quickly detect pests and pathogens that can pose a threat to U.S. agriculture.

The NPDN consists of five regional centers, each responsible for managing the states in that region. The advantages of a NPDN include:

• rapid evaluation and reporting of potential bioterrorist threats
• shorter response times for diagnosis
• established links among diagnostic labs in each region and to other labs in the NPDN
• established links to regulatory agencies
• better quality and uniformity of information associated with samples
• and better record keeping and reporting of pest outbreaks

For more information on the NPDN, please visit www.NPDN.org