At first, the microscopic specs are invisible to the naked eye.
And by the time Asian soybean rust is easily detectable,
controlling the aggressive disease is more challenging. Rust
infestations begin stealthily and mimic several other soybean
diseases. That's why the United Soybean Board (USB) and the Iowa
Soybean Promotion Board (ISPB) are funding a research project
led by Anne Dorrance, an Ohio State University (OSU) soybean
pathologist. Their goal: to develop a quick, in-field test to
help growers confirm the presence of Asian soybean rust in their
fields. According to David Wright, director of the North Central
Soybean Research Program, USB, ISPB and OSU are working with the
Department of the Navy to develop the test. He says the Navy has
a proven track record of successfully developing this type of
test. Dorrance says the test will be a small handheld device.
The grower will smash up soybean leaves and deposit the extract
from the crushed leaves on a test strip. If the strip turns
color, rust is present