The national movement of rust should be closely monitored. If rust development in the southern United States is slow, local scouting efforts can be delayed. If the arrival of rust is imminent, leaves may need to be examined to determine if management strategies should be implemented. To identify low levels of soybean rust, samples must be processed in the laboratory using a microscope.

If soybean rust is suspected in a particular field, the following instructions should be followed to
submit a sample.

• Collect a minimum of 100 leaflets per location.
• Collect leaflets from shaded areas or areas with dense canopy.
• Collect leaflets from the lower to mid-canopy.
• If possible, collect leaflets from early maturing cultivars or early planted fields.
• Collect leaflets that are not extremely infected with other diseases. Too many lesions of other foliar diseases will make identifying soybean rust pustules more difficult.
• Place sample in a “zip-lock” plastic bag (between paper towels to keep leaflets flat and dry, but do not add water).
• If mailing, place sample in a padded mailer or box.
• Record pertinent information—date, collector’s name, and phone number; location of the field (county, township, section, GPS coordinates).
• Include completed form PD 31 and indicate that it is a soybean rust sample.