Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDA) Director Dan Wyant announced today that plans are already underway to help protect this year's soybean crop from soybean rust, a new exotic disease that if left unchecked, can reduce yields by over 50 percent. 

Soybean rust was first detected in Louisiana in early November and since that time has been confirmed in nine southern states. Scientists believe that it entered the U.S. on strong wind currents during last summer's hurricane season. Now that it has gained a foothold in the U.S., it is expected to spread northward this spring and summer on wind currents coming from the Gulf Coast states. Nationwide, state and federal officials have been monitoring the spread of this disease northward from South America. 

“Michigan farmers grow approximately 2.2 million acres of this valuable crop with a farm-gate value in excess of $400 million dollars, and soybeans contribute over $800 million annually to the Michigan economy," said Wyant. “Once it crossed the equator we knew it was just a matter of time before it would be detected in the United States.” 

The Michigan Department of Agriculture began preparing for the arrival of this disease earlier last summer by forming a Soybean Rust Response Committee. The committee is comprised of commodity leaders, industry representatives, university scientists and government officials. The committee developed a Soybean Rust Action Plan, which processes and protocols Michigan’s soybean crop to help protect it from this disease. In other countries where soybean rust is epidemic, the only means of protection is through use of fungicide treatments.

"MDA has already obtained Section 18 emergency exemptions from the federal Environmental Protection Agency for use of fungicides that will assist in protecting Michigan’s soybean crop,” added Wyant. “The Department is also pursuing Section 18 emergency exemptions for use on dry beans and snap beans, which may also be at risk from this disease.” 

The Response Committee will continue to meet through the winter and spring to further refine the action plan and fungicide recommendations for the 2005 crop. The Soybean Rust Action Plan can be found on MDA’s website at www.michigan.gov/mda.