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Above Normal Hurricane Season May Impact Soy Rust Potential

NOAA hurricane forecasters are predicting another above-normal hurricane season on the heels of last year's destructive and historic hurricane season.
"NOAA's prediction for the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season is for 12 to 15 tropical storms, with seven to nine becoming hurricanes, of which three to five could become major hurricanes," said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator at a news conference Monday in Bay St. Louis, Miss. "Forecaster confidence that this will be an active hurricane season is very high."
The above-normal hurricane forecast could have an impact on soybean rust infestations along the Gulf Coast later this summer. So far, active soybean rust infestations have been found in extreme southern Georgia and Florida. Last year, Hurricane Ivan was blamed for bringing soybean rust spores from South America into and along the U.S. Gulf Coast.

posted by New @ 7:45 AM