Soybean rust

Phakopsora meibromiae
Phakopsora pachyrizi

Soybean rust, sometimes also called Asian soybean rust, is a disease that affects soybeans and other legumes. It is caused by two types of fungi, Phakopsora pachyrhizi and Phakopsora meibomiae. P. meibomiae is the weaker pathogen of the two and generally does not cause widespread problems. The disease has been reported across Asia, Australia, Africa, and South America. Infections of crops in the continental United States have been widely reported in 2004, with at least nine states showing signs of the disease as of November 30. The disease was brought from Venezuela to the United States by Hurricane Ivan.