Wheat Diseases Fusarium Head Blight Presentation by Chad

Most of the information comes from: ID-125: A Comprehensive Guide to Wheat Management in

Objectives • Fusarium Head Blight (Head Scab) • Management Options Chad Lee © 2006

Three Critical Management Issues 1. Seeding: Date, Depth, Rate 2. N Rate and Timing

Disease Management • Choose disease-tolerant varieties. • Rotate Crops – Reduces Pythium root rot and take-all. • Other disease are airborne – Stagonospora, Septoria, Fusarium – Rotation has less impact on these diseases. Chad Lee © 2006 University of Kentucky 5

Fusarium Head Blight Chad Lee © 2006 University of Kentucky 6

Wheat Production Year Harvested Acres Planted (x 1, 000) 2001 550 Acres Harvested (x 1, 000) Yield per Acre Low Disease 360 66 Record High 2002 2003 2004 530 500 530 350 380 Moderate Disease 53 High Disease 59 High Disease 54 Kentucky Agricultural Statistics Service Chad Lee © 2006 University of Kentucky 7

Year Production Price Value (x 1000 bu) ($/Bu ) (x $1000) 2001 23, 760 2. 50 59, 400 2002 17, 160 3. 01 51, 652 2003 21, 700 3. 25 66, 495 2004 20, 520 Kentucky Agricultural Statistics Service Chad Lee © 2006 University of Kentucky 8

Fusarium Head Blight • Pathogen: Fusarium graminearum • Host: Wheat • Disease: Fusaorium Head

Disease Management: FHB • Fusarium Head Blight • Symptoms visible in Feekes 11. 111. 5 • Warm, moist conditions during Feekes 10. 51 -10. 54 favor development of FHB. Chad Lee © 2006 University of Kentucky 10

Disease Management: FHB • Fungicides: Folicur, Section 18 in KY – Moderate suppression of FHB. – Effective for low levels of FHB, but not for high levels of FHB. – Very difficult to overcome favorable weather timed with crop stage. • Varying wheat varieties/planting dates may help avoid FHB in some fields. Chad Lee © 2006 University of Kentucky 11

Disease Management: FHB • Probably single-most damaging factor to wheat yields in Kentucky in 2003 and 2004. • No apparent differences between conventional and no-till wheat. • Airborne spores likely “swamp” most fields, regardless of tillage history. Chad Lee © 2006 University of Kentucky 12

Variety Development Chad Lee © 2006 University of Kentucky 13

Variety Development • Dr. Van Sanford has an active program looking for Type II resistance to FHB – Type II: spread of FHB in the head of wheat is slowed • Some developmental lines express Type II • The goal: combine Type II with yield Chad Lee © 2006 University of Kentucky 14

Chad Lee © 2006 University of Kentucky 15

Variety Development • Syngenta has reported to being close to developing a biotech wheat with resistance to FHB – Would produce enzymes to fight off the pathogen • Close: 2008? 2009? 2010? Chad Lee © 2006 University of Kentucky 16

Disease Management Seed Fungicide Treatments • Combination mixes such as Raxil. Thiram or Dividend – Reduce soil-born pathogens such as Pythium, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Septoria, and Stagonospora – Improves germination rates of infected seeds (i. e. Fusarium-infected seeds) by an average of 15% Chad Lee © 2006 University of Kentucky 17