Crop Updates / News and Information
| 05/11/07 | First find of ASR in kudzu in Louisiana in 2007
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| Submitted by: Denise Wright
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| On May 8th, Rose Berggren, Associate of Dr. Clayton Hollier of LSU, Baton Rouge, LA found Asian soybean rust (ASR) in a kudzu patch in New Iberia, LA. This is one of the same patches of kudzu where (ASR) was observed last year. This is the first confirmed report of ASR in Louisiana this year. This observation is 53 days ahead of last year’s first find which brings up many questions about the initial inoculum source and the overall implications for the soybean crop in Louisiana and the rest of the mid section of the country. Why the delay in the announcement of three days? Such an early find in the Deep South has implications for our industry and the industry north of us. It was indicated last year (2006) that Louisiana was probably the source of inoculum for the Mid-South and the Mississippi and Ohio River states north of us. That being said, the same could happen this year especially if the weather is wetter than last year’s. Because of these implications and the fact that our strategies may have to change because of ASR’s earlier presence, the delay in announcement has everything to do with making certain that the diagnosis was correct. Initial microscopic observations indicated to us (pathologists) that ASR was present, but there were some abnormally shaped spores present. The second tier of results from the immunoassay test strips indicated ASR’s presence, but PCR is the true litmus test for such an important pathogen. It was positive by PCR too. Future diagnoses will not take so long because of our knowledge of ASR presence
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