Question
I live in Omaha, NE and my lawn has become covered with a yellow dust that will cover the front of my mower and will get all over you shoes and feet when you walk on it. Do you have any idea what it is and how to get rid of it?

Answer
Good Morning Gregg:

It appears that you have a rust disease on your lawn. Rust appears as an orange or yellowish-orange powder on grass leaf blades, especially in late summer to early fall when the weather is dry. The turf may have a yellow, red, or brown appearance. Close examination will reveal the spores on the leaf blades, which easily rub off on your hand.
Low fertility (in particular nitrogen) and lack of water availability slow down turf growth, allowing rust to develop. Seasons with excess rain may have rust outbreaks due to depletion of available nitrogen. Cool nights with heavy dew and light, frequent rainfall add to the ideal conditions for rust to develop. Warm, cloudy, humid weather followed by hot, sunny weather also favors rust development. Kentucky bluegrass, perennial ryegrass, and tall fescue are all affected, depending on cultivars. Rust spreads via air, water, shoes, and lawn equipment. Rust may weaken turfgrasses and make them more susceptible to other problems.
Resistance to rust can vary according to the race of the disease present. A variation of rust resistant turfgrass  helps combat rust and numerous other turf problems.

Maintain lawns through sound watering, mowing, and fertilizing. Water early in the day so the grass dries quickly. Manage problem thatch. Increase vigor with an early fall nitrogen application, but don't overdo it. Also assure good airflow over the site and light penetration by pruning trees and shrubs in the area near the lawn.

When rust occurs in late summer, improved growth conditions of early fall often get lawns growing more vigorously and the rust fades away. Apply a winter fertilizer late in the fall (usually around Thanksgiving Day). If conditions are dry, irrigation is also needed to increase the growth rate of the lawn.

I would not suggest fungicides as they rarely work on home lawns for rust control. Focus instead on cultural practices described above.

Good luck!
Floyd McMahon