1. Coordinate field-testing activities in the southern U.S. to test exotic germplasm and improved experimental lines for resistance to soybean rust.
2. Continue an active program that started in 2006 to collect, purify, characterize, and maintain a collection of U.S. soybean rust isolates. This collection is needed so that the diversity of U.S. rust isolates can be determined based on inoculations to resistant soybean genotypes. This collection will be important to soybean researchers and breeders as they study the genetics of resistance and develop resistant varieties.
3. Map rust resistance genes and breed mapped genes into germplasm and varieties adapted to the northern, mid-southern, and southeastern soybean production regions.