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Copyright Virginia Tech
  
Virginia Asian Soybean Rust Virginia Soybean Rust Monitoring Program
2008 Virginia Soybean Rust Monitoring Program
The Virginia Soybean Rust Monitoring Program began in 2004 and has undergone some expansion since that time. The goal of this program is to ensure that an early warning system is in place for soybean rust so that significant soybean yield losses from this potentially devastating disease is avoided. Additionally, the program aims to ensure that fungicides are used judiciously, only when necessary, and at the proper time. Since implementation of this program soybean rust has only been detected in Virginia late in the growing season when the soybean crop was no longer at risk of crop loss from this disease.
During 2008 commercial soybean plots in major soybean production counties were monitored in addition to 10 USDA sentinel plots. Since previous experience demonstrated that early detection of soybean rust is possible only with microscopic examination of incubated soybean leaflets, the program relied upon laboratory examination of collected soybean leaflets by plant pathologists.
Sentinel plots samples were collected on a bi-weekly (during vegetative stages) and weekly basis (during reproductive stages) and examined and tested by plant pathologists at Virginia Tech's Eastern Shore Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Plant Disease Clinic and Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Examination and testing of leaflets from the commercial field plots was performed by plant pathologists at the Tidewater Agricultural Research and Extension Center. Again in 2008, the Virginia program demonstrated the ability to detect soybean rust during the initial phase of development and before crop damage occurred. Therefore, Virginia growers may be confident in the control recommendations that are generated from this monitoring program.
Soybean rust was identified in the following Virginia counties in 2008, beginning with the first identification in Virginia Beach on 10/29/08: Sussex, Surry, Suffolk, Southampton, Northampton, Mecklenburg, Isle of Wight, Chesapeak and Accomack.
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Virginia IPM |
Virginia Cooperative Extension |
IPM in the Department of Entomology |
Nematode Assay Laboratory |
Plant Disease Clinic |
Weed Identification Laboratory |
Insect Identification Laboratory
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