Stripe Rust Coming on in US Wheat Crops

Stripe rust is a prevelant disease found in cereal and grass crops, and if found in wheat, it can lead to substantial yield losses and diminish overall crop quality. Dan Maxfield is an agronomic service representative for Syngenta Crop Protection.

“In 2023. Fall we found a lot of overwinter and stripe rust, which is kind of an indicator for more of a disease-ridden season. And so far in 2024. We've definitely found striped grass scattered throughout the geography so it is present in the Pacific Northwest. It hasn't become severe yet which is good because a lot of our growers are ahead of the curve, right. We do a lot of preventative applications and when we spray for weeds we also include a lot of fungicides that helps kind of shut the populations down the best we can.”

As the season progresses. Maxfield says a key factor in maintaining and maximizing yield is the health of the flag leaf. Its integrity is crucial for optimal yield.

“It's been a very cool spring or nighttime temperatures which are really vital for some of that plant resistance that's built into these varieties and how we select varieties to grow, but really haven't kicked in. So as we get into this flag leaf development, it's really imperative to scout our fields and look for pustules or stripe rust development on our flag leaf.”

Which will drag down yields and or lead to loss according to Maxfield.