By TIM ALEXANDER
Illinois Correspondent

URBANA, Ill. — Producers of soft red winter wheat in the Midwest and Delta are advised to be on the lookout for the threat of fungal diseases, such as Fusarium head blight (or head scab), which infects plants exposed to persistent rains during the flowering stage of their development.

Head scab, which affects the type of wheat used in pastries and snack foods, can reduce grain yield and quality, according to crop disease specialists.

Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas appear to be among states where wheat farmers may experience problems with head scab this year.
“During the week of May 4, weather in southern Illinois was very favorable for head scab, and some fields in that region at that time would have been at the critical growth stage for infection to occur,” Carl Bradley, assistant professor of plant pathology for the University of Illinois Department of Crop Sciences, told Farm World.

“Beginning (last) week, a couple of (UoI) extension educators located in southern Illinois reported to me that symptoms were beginning to appear in a few fields. At this point in time, we do not know how many fields are affected, nor do we know the extent of damage in infected fields.”

He has no doubt head scab will be easy to find in many southern Illinois fields this year, but he said the severity of the disease would depend mostly on what stage of development the wheat was in during the favorable period for head scab development, and whether any fungicides were applied.

“For fields in central and northern Illinois that are just now beginning to flower or are quickly approaching flowering, the risk of head scab is currently low. However, if we return to another wet cycle just prior to and during the period that the wheat is flowering in those regions, the risk of head scab will increase,” continued Bradley. “In the next few weeks, I and other (UoI) research and extension personnel have plans to survey wheat fields for the extent of damage caused by head scab and other diseases. After the survey is completed, we’ll certainly have better knowledge on how badly Illinois wheat was affected by diseases such as head scab this year.”

The USDA has projected U.S. farmers will produce 422 million bushels of soft winter wheat this year, down from 614 million in 2008. In 2009, growers reduced total acreage of soft winter wheat to about 8.4 million acres, from 11.2 million acres last year, according to the USDA. Projected wheat production for Illinois was placed at 50.4 million bushels for 2009, down from 73.6 million in 2008.

Following a sharp drop in prices, growers planted only 850,000 acres in 2009, down from 1.2 million in 2008. Bradley recommends wheat producers consult a Fusarium head blight risk assessment tool for current risk of head scab, online at www.wheatscab.psu.edu
The Illinois Wheat Assoc. offers tips on managing Fusarium head blight at www.illnoiswheat.org