Sentinel plot monitoring alerts southeastern soybean farmers to the appearance of Asian soybean rust and provides information to help them make treatment decisions. Fungicides applied based on early warnings may protect soybean yields by 25 bu/A or more, but they aren’t necessary every year. The sentinel plots include patches of kudzu, an overwintering host for ASR. Soybean plots containing varieties of three different maturity groups are planted early at Georgia’s experiment stations as sentinel plots. All plots are monitored weekly from April through September. Soybean farmers in Georgia and neighboring states benefit from knowing when ASR is moving their direction.

Key Benefactors:
farmers, agronomists, Extension agents