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First Detection of Kudzu in Ontario. What is the Implication for Soybean Rust?

As you may have already heard, the invasive weed Kudzu has been found for the first time in Ontario
near Leamington. Kudzu is often referred to "as the vine that ate the south" due to its notorious rapid growth rate (it has the ability to grow a foot a day under favourable conditions). This is a significant confirmation although it shouldn't come as a surprise considering Kudzu has been found in the bordering Great Lake States of Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and Michigan. However, the distribution has been very localized in these States as it is here in Ontario.

Will this increase our risk to Soybean Rust? Probably not at this time since the soybean rust fungus requires a living host to survive. It will not produce spores on dead plant material whether that be soybeans or Kudzu. Fortunately for us, Kudzu is sensitive to below freezing temperatures and just about the time we bring out the winter coat, Kudzu will drop its leaves (defoliate). However, based on the size of the vine at the Leamington site, the newly discovered Kudzu appears to have over-wintered in Leamington. But again, without leaves and our very cold winter temperatures, it is very unlikely any soybean rust spores could survive and pose a threat the following year. Samples have already been collected and are now being tested for soybean rust infection.

As mentioned earlier, this is important but we need to keep it in perspective. The risk for Ontario producers continues to be the over-wintering locations in the southern US. We will continue to monitor the overwintering situation and track the disease using sentinel plots, rainfall spore traps, computer prediction models and other information from around North American to manage and reduce producer risk to the disease.

Funding for the Ontario sentinel monitoring was provided in part by OMAFRA, AAFC through the Agricultural Adaptation Council CanAdvance Program and the Ontario Research Development (ORD) program, the Ontario Soybean Growers and the Ontario Soybean Rust Coalition.

Figure 1. Kudzu grows at an alarming rate and will cover ground, trees, etc.
Photos Courtesy of Terry Anderson

Figure 2. Kudzu patch in Leamington, Ontario
Photos Courtesy of Terry Anderson

Figure 3. Kudzu infected with soybean rust in Georgia
(Tenuta, OMAFRA)