With the exception of late maturing lines in North Alabama, wheat in Alabama is past flowering and is no longer vulnerable to Fusarium head blight. Disease risk for most of North Alabama remains low though showers may be moving through the area this coming weekend. Growers in this area are very familiar with the risk posed by this disease and have made at flowering applications of a recommended fungicide. Overall disease activity in wheat this year has been low with very little rust or glume blotch activity.
--Austin Hagan, Extension Plant Pathologist, Auburn University For more details, go to the FHB Risk assessment tool at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu For the latest news and updates from the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative, go to https://www.scabusa.org
So far this spring, overall disease activity in wheat across much of Alabama has been light. Neither leaf or yellow rust has been observed in any of the cultivar trials located around the state, while light Septoria leaf spot was diagnosed in wheat cultivar screening trials in North AL. Scab risk is high over SW AL but medium to low across the rest of the state. Most likely, much of the wheat in that area has already flowers and is at low risk for scab development. Wheat in Central and North AL is flowering now.
--Austin Hagan, Extension Plant Pathologist, Auburn University For more details, go to the FHB Risk assessment tool at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu For the latest news and updates from the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative, go to https://www.scabusa.org
Wheat in South and Central AL is no longer vulnerable to scab but some late wheat in North AL is now flowering. Scab risk in that area remains low. So far, little if any scab damage has been observed in research trials being conducted in SW or SE AL. Septoria glume blotch intensification has continued in SW AL with noticeable leaf damage being seen in wheat in the dough stage. Very limited leaf rust damage has occurred in extreme SW AL. No disease activity was noted in a wheat variety trial in SE AL. Overall, disease pressure has been very light in wheat across AL for 2018.
--Austin Hagan, Extension Plant Pathologist, Auburn University For more details, go to the FHB Risk assessment tool at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu For the latest news and updates from the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative, go to https://www.scabusa.org
While moisture levels remain adequate due to periodic heavy showers, the following fronts have brought dry and unusually cool weather patterns, which are not conductive to foliar disease development. Overall, scab threat across Alabama is low and is not expected to change until the week of April 22 when several days of rain are forecast. Wheat in South and probably Central AL is past flowering and is not vulnerable to scab. Wheat in North AL has not yet flowered or is in full flower and may be vulnerable to scab early next week. Activity of other foliar diseases in North AL is very low with only some Septoria leaf spot and glume blotch being seen in breeding line trials at the Tennessee Valley Research and Extension Center. Overall, it's a low disease year in Alabama wheat.
--Austin Hagan, Extension Plant Pathologist, Auburn University For more details, go to the FHB Risk assessment tool at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu For the latest news and updates from the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative, go to https://www.scabusa.org
Scab risk for Baldwin and Mobile Counties is high as compared with the low risk for scab development across the remainder of Alabama. Wheat is flowering across Southwest Alabama, so producers should make a fungicide application before the next rain event scheduled for this coming weekend. A low level of rust activity along with a low to moderate level of Septoria glume blotch was also noted in Baldwin Co. With the exception of trace levels of powdery mildew and Septoria leaf spot, disease activity at two North Alabama locations was low on wheat showing the flag leaf but no seed heads.
--Austin Hagan, Extension Plant Pathologist, Auburn University For more details, go to the FHB Risk assessment tool at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu For the latest news and updates from the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative, go to https://www.scabusa.org
Currently, the risk for scab development across Alabama is low. Generally, weather in the southern two thirds of AL has been dry and cool over the last week as wheat has begun to lower. Overall disease activity in wheat is low. To date, leaf rust has not been diagnosed in variety trials at two South AL locations. Also, very little disease activity in forage, grain, and malting barley variety trials in Central AL.
--Austin Hagan, Extension Plant Pathologist, Auburn University For more details, go to the FHB Risk assessment tool at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu For the latest news and updates from the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative, go to https://www.scabusa.org
Wheat stages across the state range from jointing to flowering. For the most part, risk for scab for flowering wheat is low this week. However, there is a chance of rain in the forecast for next week. Plans should be made to protect vulnerable wheat prior to rain events.
--Trey Price, Extension Plant Pathologist, Louisiana State University For more details, go to the FHB Risk assessment tool at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu For the latest news and updates from the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative, go to https://www.scabusa.org
The scab risk remains low for nearly the entire state of Alabama and dry weather patterns for the next week will keep that risk minimal. A moderate scab risk is in effect for Baldwin Co. Most of the wheat in that and surrounding counties already is past flowering, so there's little threat of further disease spread there. Rust has been found in wheat at several Alabama locations. Again, dry and warm weather patterns will limit further spread of that disease.
--Austin Hagan, Extension Plant Pathologist, Auburn University For more details, go to the FHB Risk assessment tool at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu For the latest news and updates from the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative, go to http://www.scabusa.org
Apologies for a late Louisiana Update: Acreage in Louisiana is very low this year, probably less than 40K. Wheat at this point ranges from flag leaf to dough stage, and scab is showing up in the few producer fields that we have. Uneven heading due to drought at planting, uneven tillage, and some vernalization issues have made it very difficult to effectively time fungicide applications. Wheat flowering in the past week has been at high risk to scab because of environmental conditions. High winds associated with thunderstorms and tornadoes has caused significant lodging issues confounding production.
--Trey Price, Extension Plant Pathologist, Louisiana State University For more details, go to the FHB Risk assessment tool at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu For the latest news and updates from the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative, go to http://www.scabusa.org
Scab risk remains high for Baldwin and Mobile Counties in SW AL with lmedium risk in Escambia Co. Low risk reported for rest of Alabama but heavy rains are anticipated today and tomorrow (6th), then dry weather for a week. So, the scab risk may be elevated by heavy rainfall for other areas of South and Central AL. Leaf rust development has continued in SW AL and pathogen spread may occur with strong NE of thunderstorms over the next day.
--Austin Hagan, Extension Plant Pathologist, Auburn University For more details, go to the FHB Risk assessment tool at http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu For the latest news and updates from the U.S. Wheat & Barley Scab Initiative, go to http://www.scabusa.org
