Scouting may be the operative term when it comes to knowing this year’s wheat condition in southeast Kansas.
The cool, wet spring has wheat growers and researchers alike scratching their heads wondering what the outcome will be.
Kansas State University Plant Pathologist Doug Jardine told wheat growers at the recent Wheat Tour held in Parsons, Kansas that there is a lot of variance in wheat conditions across the state.
“Overall it is a pretty healthy year across Kansas for wheat,” Jardine explained. “Yet, there are some areas of the state that are going to have more disease problems than others.”
According to him, there are some instances of barley yellow dwarf in the state that are as bad as he has ever seen.
“Barley yellow dwarf is transmitted by aphids and typically fall infections are far worse than spring infections,” he said.
That being said, Jardine figured BYD should have a minimal impact on yields.
In addition to barley yellow dwarf, producers need to keep a close watch for fusarium head blight or head scab.
“With head scab part of the head will turn brown or white while the rest stays green,” Jardine explained.
According to him, after seeing fields in southeast Kansas, there may be some wheat that may not be harvestable because of head scab.
“One of the problems with head scab infected wheat is that it produces a toxin called vomitoxin that miller's don’t like,” he said.
When it comes right down to it Jardine told growers that wheat infected with head scab truly limits what it can be used for.
“It might be okay for fat cattle feed but there isn’t a lot you can do with it,” he explained.
The bright side is that there is some fungicide treatments available.
“Unfortunately those treatments need to be applied when the head is flowering and since it rained every day during flowering we got hit hard,” Jardine said.
Much like with anything in agriculture Jardine told wheat growers this was something they are just going to have to ride out.
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