Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- November 16, 2004

Pennsylvania prepared in advance for soybean rust threat (:42)

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Suggested Intro:

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE RECENTLY CONFIRMED THE NATION'S FIRST CASE OF SOYBEAN RUST, A DISEASE THAT COULD DEVASTATE THE MULTI-BILLION-DOLLAR U.S. SOYBEAN INDUSTRY. BUT A SPECIALIST IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES SAYS PENNSYLVANIA IS TRYING TO STAY ONE STEP AHEAD OF THE DISEASE. MORE FROM GARY ABDULLAH:

Story:

(:19) NORTH AMERICA'S FIRST CONFIRMED CASE OF SOYBEAN RUST WAS DISCOVERED IN LOUISIANA. COMMON TO CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA, THE FUNGUS COULD CAUSE UP TO ONE-POINT-THREE BILLION DOLLARS IN CROP DAMAGE NATIONALLY. PENN STATE PLANT PATHOLOGIST ERICK DEWOLF EXPLAINS THAT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HAS BEEN TRACKING THE DISEASE'S PROGRESS:

DeWolf Actuality:
(:18) "PENN STATE AND THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER TO REQUEST ADDITIONAL FUNGICIDE PRODUCTS THAT CAN BE USED BY SOYBEAN GROWERS. WE KNEW IT WAS POSSIBLE THAT SOYBEAN RUST COULD MAKE IT TO THE U.S. IN THE NEAR FUTURE AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT GROWERS HAD THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO MANAGE THIS DISEASE."

(:13) DEWOLF SAYS SEVERAL ADDITIONAL FUNGICIDES ALREADY HAVE BEEN APPROVED TO BATTLE THE DISEASE. GROWERS CAN CONTACT THEIR COUNTY PENN STATE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION. I'M GARY ABDULLAH.

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To learn more, follow this link:

Soybean Rust (College of Agricultural Sciences "Health & Emerging Issues" Web page)

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