If you're waiting for Asian soybean rust to appear in your fields before you spray, Marty Wiglesworth suggests you reconsider.

Asian soybean rust finally appeared in the U.S. last season but had little impact after years of warnings about its potential catastrophic effects on soybean yields. That doesn’t mean the researchers were wrong and no-tillers can ignore the threat.

Instead of worrying about whether Asian rust is going to hit your no-tilled soybean fields this summer, you should consider spraying fungicides, Wayne Pedersen says. The University of Illinois plant pathologist says it’s likely to pay dividends through control of several late-maturing soybean diseases.

Soybean growers are urged to monitor their fields and contact their local extension agent or a local university plant diagnostic center if the appearance of Asian soybean rust is suspected.

Asian soybean rust is a foliar disease, notes Glen Hartman, a plant pathologist at the University of Illinois who is heavily involved in preparing the U.S. for its arrival, “and tillage per se should not interact with rust incidence or severity.”