Soybean rust: Alberto no immediate threat

Tropical Storm Alberto was a “no show” for the Midsouth in terms of rain and probably won’t do much in the way of immediately spreading Asian soybean rust (ASR) through the Southeast, based on North Carolina State University’s latest ASR forecast. The hurricane came ashore on the northwestern side of Florida’s panhandle and has been moving across north Florida and southern Georgia on its way toward the Atlantic.

ASR sources – scattered kudzu patches in south Alabama, north Florida and southeast Georgia – haven’t generated enough spores yet to matter. Dry conditions since mid-May have not been conducive to spore development, and cool, dry weather in late winter and early spring didn’t encourage much spore production, either.

Any spores already generated from these scattered sites haven’t moved far and will be quickly washed away by rain, according to the forecast.

What the hurricane will do is create conditions that are more favorable to localized disease development where ASR is present, NCSU’s forecast page noted.