BSPM aids in soybean rust sentinel plot coordination

The goal of the national Soybean Rust sentinel plot project and National Legume Risk Management Tool Development Project (PIPE) is to provide useful information for legume pest management through a national network of plots that will be monitored for legume pests with an emphasis upon soybean rust.  Colorado State University coordinated the network of sentinel plots (8 to 9 in each state, and fewer in each province) located in the western U.S. (Colorado, Idaho, Oregon, Washington) and Canada (Alberta, Manitoba, Sasketchewan). Colorado State University research and extension personnel (Mike Bartolo, Mark Stack, Wayne Cooley, Ron Meyer) led by Howard Schwartz - BSPM coordinated the plots in Colorado, and Schwartz also served as the western coordinator for the other states and provinces.

Each State/Provincial Coordinator: (1) confirmed involvement of local cooperators and provided diagnostic training; (2) established linkage with the State Diagnostician (National Plant Diagnostic Network contact such as Ned Tisserat and Tamla Blunt on the CSU Campus) to share primary pest information on Soybean Rust generated by the Sentinel Plot and/or other activities during the season; and (3) established linkage with the USDA/CSREES Soybean Rust Web Site and protocol to access resources and upload weekly survey data that was then made available to the public at http://sbrusa.net/.

During 2006, the western network of more than 25 Sentinel Plot specialists and observers monitored more than 40 legume (primarily common bean or Phaseolus vulgaris) plots in 4 states and 3 provinces from May to September for Soybean Rust.  There were no suspicious samples of soybean rust detected in any Sentinel Plot or commercial field of legume in the western region during 2006.  Plans are underway to expand rust (and other pest) monitoring on legume crops such as common bean during 2007 with the addition of other western states, such as Arizona, California, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming to the 2006 network members.