Cold Weather Hits Kudzu, May Help Delay Soy Rust

After a long stretch of warm weather, winter has returned to the Midsouth and Southeast, and that may be good news in terms of soybean rust. Cold weather and freezing temperatures will help burn back lingering kudzu, which is an over-wintering host for soybean rust.

In the first 12 days of January, 3 instances of soybean rust were reported, 2 in Alabama and 1 in Georgia, all on kudzu.

This week, winter storm or freeze advisories began popping up in the weather forecast, and the radar showed a widespread system with at least a little sleet or freezing rain. Temperatures and freezing rain have been reported throughout much of the Midsouth and even a bit into Gulf Coast areas. While nothing as drastic as freezing conditions that have hit Oklahoma and Texas, there is at least the chance for freezing rain as far south as Interstate 20, with freezing temperatures dipping down toward the coast. Sleet has already spread across parts of Louisiana this morning, and that is now spreading into Mississippi.

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