The American Phytopathological Society (APS), in co-operation with related organizations, will present the 2006 National Soybean Rust Symposium, November 29 – December 1, 2006 at the Adam’s Mark Hotel in St. Louis, Missouri.

The symposium will to bring together relevant sectors of the soybean community to review the soybean rust situation in 2006, discuss what has been learned through research and experience over the past few years, and provide a forum for networking and visioning.

“The symposium has been structured to maximize opportunities for participants to be exposed to topics of greatest interest to them,” said Don Hershman, symposium coordinator and extension plant pathologist with the University of Kentucky. “The availability of a wide range of topics in concurrent sessions will allow participants the opportunity to tailor their symposium experience to meet their individual needs. There will also be ample time allotted during the symposium to network and develop collaborative relationships,” Hershman said.

In addition to poster presentations, the symposium will offer a technical program with interactive sessions on:

• Biology of Soybean Rust
• Economics & Policy
• Epidemiology
• Host Response
• Application technology
• Disease assessment
• Forecasting
• Monitoring
• Control

USDA Under Secretary Dr. Gale Buchanan will present the opening remarks when the technical program begins at 8 a.m. Central Time on November 30. The technical program ends at noon on December 1. The full program can be found at www.apsnet.org/online/sbr.

The early registration deadline is October 20, 2006. To register, visit www.apsnet.org/online/sbr/. Members of the media are extended complimentary registration by contacting Amy Steigman at asteigman@scisoc.org or +1.651.994.3802.

Proceedings from this meeting will be published on the Plant Management Network’s Soybean Rust Information Center (www.plantmanagementnetwork.org/infocenter).

APS is a non-profit, professional scientific organization. The research of the organization’s 5,000 worldwide members advances the understanding of the science of plant pathology and its application to plant health.