Soybean rust has been identified in the Rio Grande Valley, resulting in a spray advisory for the area, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Plant pathologist.

Tom Isakeit, AgriLife Extension plant pathologist, College Station, told producers on hand at the recent 2015 Grow Smart Field Tour held at the Texas A&M Field Laboratory near College Station that producers in the South Central Texas area do not need to spray at this time. But that doesn’t rule out the potential threat of “epidemics following rainy weather, because spores are likely being blown into this area from the South.”

He recommends that producers scout fields regularly, concentrating on the lower canopy of the plant. If they see rust, Isakeit said farmers need to take action immediately to fend off potential crop damage. He recommends checking www.sbrusa.net for updated reports of rust.

The field tour included field trials conducted by BASF, Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service. Producers were introduced to new technology and emerging issues affecting crops such as corn, cotton, soybeans, wheat and sorghum.

Topics included controlling volunteer cotton, managing resistant weeds and the need to rotate herbicides to preserve efficacy.