Wheat Disease

According to the FHB forecasting system, the risk for head scab continues to be low across the state of Ohio, for wheat flowering (or barley heading) today, May 18. In spite of the wet weather we have had, it has been very cold over the last week to 10 days. Cold temperatures between heading and flowering usually reduce the risk for scab, as the disease develops best under warm, wet, or humid conditions. However, you must continue to be vigilant as the crop in the northern half of the state approach heading and anthesis.

The wheat crop in Ohio is now at or approaching Feekes 8 (flag leaf emergence), the growth stage at which we usually recommend fungicide application for foliar disease control. Conditions have been fairly cool and wet over the last 7 to 10 days, and will likely continue to be so over the next week, favoring the development of early-season diseases such as powdery mildew and Septoria.