Results from several soybean rust trials conducted in Brazil are now available through the Plant Management Network (PMN). Published in Fungicide and Nematicide Tests (F&N Tests), advisers and growers will find the reports useful in identifying trends in fungicide efficacy, helping them make informed decisions in controlling soybean rust in their fields.

"We always encourage producers to look at results from several trials before making decisions," says Doug Jardine, Kansas State University Extension State Leader and Chair of the PMN Soybean Rust Information Center Steering Committee. Roger Borges, University of Wisconsin Agronomist, added, "I think the strength of these results is that they were conducted in several Brazilian locations, with several soybean varieties, and focused on several fungicides that are or will likely be available in the U.S. in 2005." The new reports represent results of six replicated fungicide trials during the 2003-04 growing season. In reading the reports, users should take into account the Brazilian environment, time of first spray, and comparison to normal Brazilian yield standards.

Twelve fungicide treatments were compared for percent rust infection, area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC), grain yield, and, in two trials, percent defoliation. “Our goal was to make available reliable information regarding fungicide efficacy. These trials should be of particular interest to soybean producers, fungicide suppliers, crop advisers, and extension personnel,” said Dow AgroSciences Plant Pathologist Brian Olson, co-author of the reports.

"We hope to publish additional soybean rust trials in real time as they become available from within the United States and around the world," said Dan Egel, F&N Tests Editor-in-Chief and Purdue University Pest Management Specialist. Egel added, "We encourage researchers to share their results via F&N Tests. Special instructions for soybean rust real-time submissions are available online at the F&N site."

F&N Tests is a publication of the American Phytopathological Society and includes fungicide data for field crops, cereals, forages, vegetables, turfgrass, ornamentals, trees, fruits, nuts, citrus, and tropical crops, as well as seed treatments and nematicides. Access is available to subscribers and partners of the Plant Management Network by clicking "F&N Tests," located under the “Resources” tab on the PMN homepage, www.plantmanagementnetwork.org.

Subscriptions are available online and also include access to all of PMN's electronic resources, including four science-based agricultural journals: Applied Turfgrass Science, Crop Management, Forage and Grazinglands, and Plant Health Progress; an image database; a plant science database of more than 4,000 fact sheets; a soybean rust information center, and a monthly newsletter. Subscribe at www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/subscriptions.