March 13, 2007

 

ASIAN SOYBEAN RUST CONFIRMED IN IOWA

 

It is a little unusual that the first confirmation of Asian soybean rust in Iowa comes in March. Leaves from a field and a grain bin of soybeans from a field that performed poorly in 2006 were submitted to the plant disease lab in Ames last week and forwarded to Beltsville, where it was confirmed that the plants were infested with soybean rust. The rust pathogen can not survive Iowa winters without a living host, so this really has no affect on whether the disease will appear in Iowa fields this summer, but it does show that the disease problem can reach Iowa. We should not overreact to this news, but it does show the importance of closely monitoring soybean fields this summer and keeping on top of events occurring to our south. For the latest map on confirmations of soybean rust in 2007 see http://sbrusa.net/. The find in Iowa will eventually appear on a 2006 map, since that is when the live fungus was present in Iowa. The news item is located at http://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2007/mar/071301.htm.

 

 

FOR YOU CALENDAR

 

Commercial Pesticide Applicator Test Help Session

March 22

 

A session to help individuals to prepare for the commercial pesticide applicator exams will be offered on Thursday, March 22 in Bettendorf in the Scott County Extension Office, 875 Tanglefoot Lane. Training will be offered on the core manual and categories 1A (Ag Weed), 1B (Ag Insect), 1C (Ag Diseases), 3O, T, & G (Ornamental, Turf & Greenhouse), 4 (Seed Treatment), and 6 (Right-of-Way). Training on the core manual will be offered from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Training on category 3, the ag categories, and categories 4 and 6 will begin at approximately 11:00 a.m. and conclude by about 1:00 p.m.     There is a $20 fee per person at each training session. This training session does NOT qualify as a continuing instructional course.