With this year’s mild winter, spring wheat is off to an early start. If favorable weather conditions occur this spring, wheat diseases could reach damaging levels.

The University of Nebraska warns growers to begin monitoring the following wheat diseases:

• Stripe rust: This disease has already been confirmed in numerous states throughout the country. When scouting, growers should look for yellow rust pustules in the upper and lower canopy. It’s important to remember that stripes typically don’t form until the disease is further developed, so looking for these pustules is key to an early diagnosis.
• Leaf spots: Growers should be aware of tan spot and Septoria leaf blotch this season. In the early stages, symptoms for both diseases are similar. Growers should scout for spots with brown necrotic centers surrounded by yellow halos, beginning on the lower leaves before moving up the plant.
• Powdery mildew: This disease is most likely to progress in humid conditions, typically developing on the lower leaves where humidity is highest. Growers should scout the lower canopy for white patches on the plant surface. These patches can turn to gray or brown later on.

Syngenta encourages growers to scout diligently and regularly throughout the season, increasing frequency as disease pressure grows. It’s important that growers get ahead of these diseases by identifying early symptoms and applying a fungicide in a timely manner.

If growers find rusts, leaf spots or powdery mildew in their wheat fields, Syngenta recommends applying Trivapro^® fungicide, which provides long-lasting control of these key diseases. Trivapro delivers better residual control compared to competitive fungicide programs.

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