BATON ROUGE, La. - The LSU AgCenter says a sugarcane fungus new to Louisiana called Orange Rust has been identified in two fields.
Orange Rust is native to Asia. Sugarcane experts had expected the wind-borne fungus to come to the state earlier, since it was first identified in the U.S. five years ago in Florida.
Researchers are checking other fields to see if they are infected.
The fungus was found in two cane fields not yet in commercial release.
Most of the sugarcane varieties popular in Louisiana don't appear to be as vulnerable to Orange Rust.
