Are imports of soybean meal, planting seed, or whole soybean likely to bring rust into the U.S.?
No, ASR is not seed-borne, although there is a very slight chance that spores could be associated with debris in seed. For soybean meal there is virtually no chance of contamination since meal is heat-treated, which kills any ASR inoculum. The American Soybean Association has worked closely with the United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine (USDA-APHIS-PPQ) to reduce the risk of accidental introduction of ASR.
