Current weather increases the potential for wheat rust

Driving along Highways 30 and 71, as well as along, Interstate 80, it is hard to miss the beautiful green color of the local winter wheat in our area, mainly due to the amount of moisture of late.

But that moisture can cause damage to this midwest staple.

“People need to be looking at their wheat fields now for the possibility of wheat rust on their crops,” said University of Nebraska – Lincoln plant disease specialist, Bob Harveson.

Wheat rust is a disease of wheat caused by a fungus, such as ‘Puccinia graminis’, and Harveson states that this disease has already been reported by some in Kansas and Oklahoma. Furthermore, it is highly likely to make its journey here by wind currents.

Wheat in the Nebraska Panhandle can be affected by stem, leaf and stripe rust, due to the wet and humid conditions, according to Harveson.

The rust can cause a variety of damage depending on the surveillance and maintenance of fields, so farmers should not hesitate or wait to search their fields for the disease, Harveson warned.

“Over the last week, I have received word from Oklahoma and Kansas that both stripe rust and leaf rust have been detected,” he said “Strip rust has additionally been found this week in Northeastern Colorado and in Kansas.”

It is irregular for wheat rust to occur this early in the season, he added, but with the recently mild winter it probably overwintered in local fields.

Rust infections were reported last fall in Banner County on fall-planted crops, which is also cause for concern because the disease is already in this area.

“Normally the new crop, planted in September, is not affected by the disease,” he said.

Harveson reminds farmers to protect the flag leaf of the plant, as it is the closet to the seed head, and added that the next four-week forecast can affect the spread of the disease.

Although longtime area wheat producer Lyle Yung did not see the disease in his fields last year, local producer, Damon Birkhofer, said that last year was the first time he personally experienced rust in his wheat fields throughout the many years that he has produced it.

“It (the wheat rust) was due to the moisture and cool spring,” he said, “it probably effected every one around here who farms wheat. Last year we had a rust that we’ve never seen before. It was a learning experience for us.”

Fungicides are available for wheat rust, and Birkhofer said that if he had realized that the rust presented differently last year, he would have applied the fungicide sooner.

Wheat rust, according to Birkhofer, will effect the test weight and protein, but the wheat can still be of good quality.

As with many things, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

According to Dave Ostdiek, Communications for University of Nebraska Lincoln Panhandle Research, “If disease levels become moderate to severe, it may be necessary to make early fungicide applications at the jointing growth stage. However, if you make an early fungicide application, be aware that it will most likely be necessary to make a second application at 50 percent to 100 percent flag leaf emergence to protect the flag leaf.”