Wheat in the southeast and southcentral part of the state is at or approaching the flag leaf stage of growth and many are wondering about the need for a foliar fungicide.
With dry conditions throughout the state, disease pressure has been below average in most scouted locations. At the time of publication of this article, there have been no reports of either stripe rust or leaf rust in Kansas. Additionally, there have been reports of low rust pressure in both Oklahoma and Texas. Dry conditions in the region may be suppressing disease development. As a reminder, stripe rust development requires periods of cool, wet weather and periods of time where the canopy is wet. These conditions have only been met recently in parts of eastern Kansas. We will continue to scout for both stripe and leaf rust and report on risk of yield limiting infections.
Additionally, there have been very few reports of wheat streak mosaic virus. We may start to see additional reports of this disease as the weather warms and wheat in western Kansas starts to joint.
If you are seeing wheat streak mosaic virus or other diseases that you are unsure of, please reach out to your local K-State extension agent and they can help you submit a sample to the K-State diagnostic lab.
Use this link for the sample submission form:
https://www.plantpath.k-state.edu/extension/diagnostic-lab/documents/DiseaseLabChecksheet.pdf
Here are guidelines that can help get a good sample to the lab:
Shipping address:
K-State Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab
4032 Throckmorton PSC
1712 Claflin Road
Manhattan, KS 66506
Contact information for K-State Plant Disease Diagnostic Lab:
clinic@ksu.edu
785-532-1383
Kelsey Andersen Onofre, Extension Plant Pathologist
Erick De Wolf, Plant Pathologist
Tags: wheat disease stripe rust leaf rust