UFOs - that is what I am calling these late rust sightings, Unimportant, Futile and Overstated.

Soybean rust has been moving up the Mississippi and Ohio River systems. There has been huge number of sightings the last few weeks and a large number of media reports. I am not sure which is bigger, number of sightings or number of media stories.

Of course we all know by now that there is no concern. Rust arrived late like it has every year since 2004 (when it landed in November) captured the headlines and then froze into oblivion. 2009 will follow the exact same path.

But it is interesting that Illinois had it first sightings of the season last week in Gallatin, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, Saline and White Counties.

My buddy Mike Scheer, Agronomy Marketing Manager with Growmark in Bloomington, Ill. said Kevin Black found it in Pulaski County and turned in the information to get it confirmed. He said most double crop are far enough along to have almost no damage as very few fields were green enough to impact. "Cercospora will have much more yield impact than ASR; however some will blame ASR (Asian soybean rust)."

Of course full season soybeans are mature or nearly there and out of the woods.