Experts are warning wheat growers that sampling and testing for vomitoxin in head scab-infected wheat is vital to prevent further losses and avoid potential health problems in humans and livestock.

Pierce Paul, Ohio State University Extension plant pathologist, said that at this stage nothing can be done to control head scab, but growers can take several approaches to minimize losses. They include:

•Scouting fields to make sure that you do indeed have scab, and more importantly, to determine how much scab is there.

•Turn up the air in the combine to blow out scabby kernels. This reduces the amount of scabby kernels and vomitoxin in the grain lot.

•Harvest areas of fields with the most scab first and keep that grain separate from the rest of the crop.

•If rain is in the forecast leading up to harvest, harvest scabby fields at a slighly higher moisture content rather than waiting for grain to completely dry down in the field. Doing so prevents additional vomitoxin build-up in the grain.

•Wear gloves if handling infected grain and wear a dust mask while harvesting infected grain to avoid contact or inhalation.

•Always have grain from scabby fields tested for vomitoxin before feeding to livestock.

•Plowing under scabby wheat stubble, if you choose to abandon wheat fields with high levels of scab to plant soybeans.
For growers considering tearing wheat out and planting soybeans, eliminating the wheat stubble is important.

“The disease can pose a risk for this year’s corn crop and next year’s wheat crop,” Paul said. “The scab fungus can even remain in soybean residue, so carrying that pathogen over from one crop season to the next is a big risk.

“In a nutshell, growers should pull multiple samples from their grain load, grain stream or grain truck, and send the grain to a certified vomitoxin laboratory for testing. The tests can then help growers decide whether to market the grain, blend the grain, feed to animals or dump the grain entirely.”