New Tools Added in 2007
to Monitor Soybean Rust

The North American Soybean Rust Sentinel plot network has proven to be an effective "early warning system" and decision support tool for producers and advisors. Additional technologies have been added which screen rainfall (filtrate) samples and air samples for the presence of soybean rust spores. In 2006, two passive spore trap systems (JB rainfall collectors and Syngenta Rust Tracker) were added to the sentinel plots. The Syngenta traps (Figure 1) are used to collect spores that are transported by wind (dry deposition) whereas the JB collectors (Figure 2) are intended to collect spores that are washed out during rain storms (wet deposition). They are both called passive collectors since they are open to the elements at all times and not only during rainfall.

Figure 1. Syngenta Spore Tracker

Figure 2. JB Rain Collector

In 2007, two new active collectors have been added to further enhance the Ontario soybean rust detection network. The first is the automated "Loda" collector (Figure 3) which has sensors that open collection buckets during rain events only. The other is Burkhard collectors (Figure 4) that sample air directly for potential spores. They are considered active collectors as they selectively take samples.

Figure 3. Automated Rainfall Collector "Loda"

Figure 4. Burkhard Sampler

Funding for this project was provided in part by AAFC through the Agricultural Adaptation Council's CanAdvance Program and the AAFC Pest Management Centre, OMAFRA, the Ontario Soybean Growers and the Ontario Soybean Rust Coalition.

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