Since May, Louisiana and southern Texas are considered important source areas of soybean rust spores to northern soybean production. In Louisiana, the disease was found in kudzu plants near New Orleans earlier in the spring. Latest reports indicate that the disease is developing locally with increased severity. Because the wind in June was not suitable to northward movement, limited northward spore movement occurred as indicated by modeling results. On June 20, the disease was found in central Louisiana in sentinel soybean plots and a production field. The finding in central Louisiana is about 10 days earlier than the detection last year. So far, the reported infested areas in central Louisiana are relatively small with a limited amount of spore production.