Are imports of soybean meal, planting seed or whole soybeans likely to introduce rust to the United States?
No, the fungus is not seed-borne. There is a very slight chance that spores could be associated with debris in seed. Research is ongoing to determine the influence of storage time and temperature on the survivability of rust spores. For meal, there is virtually no chance of contamination, since both the meal and the foreign materials it contained were heat-treated, eliminating the risk that rust spores could survive. The American Soybean Association (ASA) has worked closely with the U.S. Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) to reduce the risk of accidental introduction of rust.
