A new website sponsored by the Ontario Soybean Rust Coalition (OSRC) provides weekly updates on the spread of Asian Soybean Rust in the Southern United States and scouting information for Ontario.

The webpage – accessed through the Ontario Soybean Growers (OSG) at http://soybean.on.ca/rustinfo.php  provides valuable maps of Ontario with information about soybean growth stages, rust treatment recommendations for Ontario growers, and scouting information by county. There’s also a link to the website hosted by the United States Department of Agriculture website providing the latest updates in confirmed rust cases in the Southern states.

“Ontario is part of an extensive North American network of crop scientists all working to monitor, forecast, and control the spread of this disease,” says Albert Tenuta, Field Crop Plant Pathologist with OMAFRA. “Early detection of Rust is key to minimizing its spread and its effect on yields, and this website will help get information out quickly and effectively.”

The maps posted on the website use GPS technology from Laresco, a London-based land resource company. Crop scouts frequently check the growth stage and health of plants at dozens of sentinel plots across the province and upload their findings. The website is updated every Thursday.

“Although we don’t know if the disease will come to Canada this year, it’s essential that we have these information avenues in place,” says Lisa McLean, Communications Coordinator with OSG. “OSG’s website was built with dial-up internet users in rural areas in mind so maps and images will download quickly.”

All soybean growers in Ontario recently received a special issue of Top Crop Manager focusing on Soybean Rust, sponsored by OSRC. Rust identification cards were also among the resources sent to growers in recent months.
The Ontario Soybean Rust Coalition is a group of key industry players - including government, growers, researchers, and chemical companies - committed to providing resources to tackle the debilitating crop disease. Coalition members include: E.I. du Pont Canada Company, OMAFRA, OSG, Syngenta Crop Protection Canada Inc, Dow AgroSciences Canada, Bayer CropScience, Monsanto Canada, Pioneer Hi-Bred Limited, Syngenta Seeds, and John Deere & Company.

Funding for this project was provided in part by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Adaptation Council's CanAdvance Program.