June 19, 2005
Source: DTN, 18 Jun 2005 [edited] <http://www.dtnsoybeanrustcenter.com/index.cfm?show=10&mid=39>

New Asian soybean rust report in Jefferson County, Florida

Asian soybean rust [ASR] has spread to a new county in Florida, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) said in a soybean rust alert.

According to USDA's rust web site, Asian soybean rust was discovered in Jefferson County, FL. An alert from USDA said ASR is "set to be confirmed" there sometime today [18 Jun 2005], though no other information was given.

Burleson Smith, special assistant for pest management policy for USDA, told DTN that ASR was found on kudzu. Rust has previously been confirmed on kudzu in Dade, Hernando, Pasco and Marion counties in Florida and Seminole County in Georgia. Jefferson County is in the panhandle of the state along the Georgia border.

[byline: Burleson Smith]

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ProMED-mail
<promed@promedmail.org>

[The spread of ASR is very slow to date. The new find in Jefferson County, FL was detection on kudzu leaves and was confirmed by microscopy (UF/IFAS) and Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Science, Division of Plant Industry, ELISA (UF/Plant Path), and real-time PCR (UF/Plant Disease Clinic). The site is limited in size (under 1/4 acre). Monitoring for ASR continues in several southern states.

Links:
<http://www.dtnsoybeanrustcenter.com/images/E0010033/lg_map.jpg>
<http://spdn.ifas.ufl.edu/Florida_Soybean_Rust.htm>
<http://spdn.ifas.ufl.edu/> - Mod.DH]