What About Fungicides on Wheat?
Unlike last year, wheat is getting wheat off to a slow start due to the slow warmup this spring. While there is some winterkill, in general wheat is in good shape. With warmer temperatures and significant rainfall, it should take off. With all the rain and damp weather this spring, one question that may arise if your wheat is doing well is, What about fungicides to reduce diseases in your wheat?
With the potential of getting a good yield and excellent price for your wheat crop, the use of a fungicide may be beneficial. Whether you have contracted wheat or not, fungicides may be beneficial in protecting your wheat crop from some foliar diseases. Wet conditions like we experienced last week can be favorable for disease development. Last year we experienced some diseases on wheat in southeast Nebraska. Diseases are spread from seed, the soil, insects, or spores that are wind-blown from southern states. Virus diseases, such as soil borne mosaic and wheat streak mosaic are not treatable with fungicides. Diseases such as tan spot and powdery mildew can be controlled by fungicides. Tan spot can be spread via seed or crop residue. Wheat planted in wheat straw residue that was infected with tan spot is most susceptible to tan spot infection. Powdery mildew is usually a problem under wet, humid conditions. If controlled early, these diseases will have little impact on crop yields. If we continue to have wet, humid conditions this spring, it will be beneficial to scout your fields to determine if any diseases are developing and treat with a fungicide if necessary.
The impact of leaf rusts on wheat yields depends when these rust spores arrive in the state. The goal of successful disease control in wheat production is to maximize green leaf area during grain fill, which is the flag leaf followed by the flag-1 leaf. Fungicide application should be timed to protect the flag leaf. It is only economical to apply a fungicide if the return from fungicide application exceeds the cost of buying and applying the fungicide. Generally with a 40-50 bushel/acre wheat yield expected, treatment with a fungicide is economical, especially with high wheat prices, contracted at $6.00 per bushel or wheat sold on the current market at $8.00 $9.00 per bushel. Fungicides used to manage foliar diseases of wheat in Nebraska include: Headline, Quadris, Quilt, Stratego and Tilt. If you have questions about this article feel free to contact me at the Nemaha County Extension office at 1824 N St. at the courthouse in Auburn (402) 274-4755.
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