Reports of plant rust throughout the Northern Plains are increasing this year. NDSU Plant Pathologist Sam Markell advises dry bean growers to scout for the disease. “We haven’t had a ton of rust in the last few years and I say that with somewhat of a caveat. Rust in dry beans and sunflowers can cause yield loss and we’ve had strong conditions for it.” Yield loss can be minimized with early detection. “One of the nice things about the disease is that once you see it, you still can do something about it. If you see rust on the dry beans, you have a little time to get on top of it and spray it.”
