(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- A fungus popping up on Illinois farms could spell trouble for the state’s soybean crops.
The University of Illinois wants farmers who suspect they have “red crown rot” in their soybeans to send samples to its lab in Urbana.
The publication Farm Week reports there have been recent sightings of the rot, which spread to 22 Illinois counties last year, mostly in western parts of the state.
A plant pathologist suspects isolated cases of the rot have moved from the South to Illinois, Indiana and Missouri.
Soybeans grown here are exported to 82 countries for use in products such as animal feed, biodiesel, soy sauce and crayons.
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