Wheat in the Eastern Shore of Maryland will be flowering (50% of the main tillers showing yellow anthers) in a couple of days. Although the weather has been wet since the weekend, the temperatures are rather low for widespread FHB development. Therefore, the epidemiological models are predicting low risk currently and for the next 4-6 days. However, with more rains coming, growers are advised to keep a close eye on the FHB risk over the coming days. In case the risk escalates, the recommended head scab fungicides are Prosaro/ Caramba/ Miravis-Ace/ at wheat flowering or within 4-5 days afterwards. Strobilurin containing fungicides should not be sprayed at this stage. In the northern counties, wheat is booting, and still roughly around 1-2 weeks away from flowering.

--Nidhi Rawat, Small Grains Pathologist, University of Maryland

Welcome to the FHB risk assessment for Maryland. This is our first commentary for this season, and they will be posted regularly throughout the small grain season from here on. Hopefully, you selected a resistant wheat variety for your planting this year after referring to the University of Maryland’s FHB evaluation of wheat varieties. A good start goes a long way in managing FHB.

Wheat in the Eastern shore of Maryland is either at jointing or booting stage and should be heading out in a week or so. Barley, however, is heading in most parts of the state. It is important to note that the correct stage for spraying fungicides on wheat is at flowering (when the yellow anthers start to show on the heads), whereas on barley it is at heading (when the heads emerge from the boots). Up in the north in Frederick, Harford and nearby counties, wheat plants are starting to joint, and are not at a stage prone for FHB.

The FHB risk is currently predicted to be low across the state. However, with the shower forecasted for this weekend, the risk may escalate in the coming weeks. The traditionally recommended fungicides for FHB are Prosaro, Miravis-Ace or Caramba at the right stage of the crop. Several new products are commercially available to the farmers this year for FHB management, including Sphaerex (from BASF) and Prosaro-Pro (from Bayer). Trials have been conducted over the past two years by pathologists at public Universities across multiple states (including by me at the University of Maryland) with these new products, and these new products were found to be equally effective in controlling FHB and DON in wheat and barley. The FHB-fungicides should be able to control any other foliar fungal diseases observed in wheat and barley (such as powdery mildew). Fungicides containing strobilurin should not be applied for control of FHB, as in multiple university research trials, strobilurin fungicides have been shown to increase DON levels in grain.

--Nidhi Rawat, Small Grains Pathologist, University of Maryland

Some barley is beginning to emerge from boot in the southernmost regions of Pennsylvania. Be sure to scout for growth stage as your crop may be deceivingly short this year. Risk of scab infection is currently low given the cool temperatures. Keep a watchful eye on your crop, and if you plan to spray for head scab, target a fungicide application when 50% of the barley stems in the field are fully headed. Caramba, Prosaro and Miravis Ace give good control of most leaf and head diseases, in addition to suppressing scab. Spray nozzles should be angled at 30° down from horizontal, toward the grain heads, using forward- and backward mounted nozzles or nozzles with a two directional spray, such as Twinjet nozzles. Continue to visit wheatscab.psu.edu to use the Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Center for estimating your crop’s scab risk.

--Alyssa A. Collins, Associate Professor, Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, The Pennsylvania State University

Scab infection risk is growing across the state, but especially in the West and North for all resistance classes of wheat. If your wheat in these areas is heading and approaching flowering, stay alert and consider a fungicide application. Caramba, Prosaro and Miravis Ace give good control of most leaf and head diseases, in addition to suppressing scab. Spray nozzles should be angled at 30° down from horizontal, toward the grain heads, using forward- and backward mounted nozzles or nozzles with a two directional spray, such as Twinjet nozzles.

Continue to visit wheatscab.psu.edu to use the Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Center for estimating your crop’s scab risk.

--Alyssa A. Collins, Associate Professor, Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, The Pennsylvania State University

Flowering is all finished across all counties of Maryland now, except for a few late planted fields in the northern part of MD that may still be flowering. Currently the risk of FHB is high in these areas and so FHB fungicides (Prosaro/ Miravis-Ace/ Caramba) should be applied here. For most parts, wheat is now in the grain filling stage and should be ready for harvesting in the next couple of weeks. For most parts of the flowering season, we stayed relatively dry, and so far, we have not observed symptom development in terms of bleached spikelets. However, with the recent rains DON content of grains may escalate. It is advisable to get the DON content of the harvested grain analyzed before taking it to the market.

This is the last FHB risk commentary of the season, but feel free to contact me (email: nidhirwt@umd.edu) if you have any questions related to wheat diseases any time of the year!

--Nidhi Rawat, Small Grains Pathologist, University of Maryland

Pockets of higher scab infection risk exist in Western and Northern PA as we wrap up May. Those growers who are working with highly susceptible varieties that are about to flower should consider a fungicide application on those crops. Generally, recent dry weather has driven down risk levels for most varieties across the state, but central and Northern growers should keep an eye on their risk map as rain-generating weather fronts become more frequent.

--Alyssa A. Collins, Associate Professor, Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, The Pennsylvania State University

Wheat is at the dough stage in the lower eastern and lower western shore of the state. Wheat is well past the stage of FHB infection and spray here. This year, we were lucky to not be at high FHB risk in this part of the state. Some other fungal foliar diseases such as Septoria tritici blotch, Stagonospora nodorum blotch, glume blotch, and tan spot have been observed. However, the damage due to these diseases is not going to be substantial now, and growers in this region do not need to spray fungicides for controlling these diseases. This week and next would be the time to start looking for bleached spikelets to assess FHB severity. Up in the North, wheat has finished/ is finishing up flowering. FHB risk for today and for the next three days appears to be low here, especially for a moderately resistant variety. If you are worried about foliar diseases mentioned above, the triazole fungicides do an excellent job of controlling these diseases as well. Strobilurin containing fungicides should be avoided at this stage.

--Nidhi Rawat, Small Grains Pathologist, University of Maryland

Wheat in the Eastern Shore of Maryland and Southern Maryland on the west of shore is finishing up flowering. If your wheat has flowered already, you have likely escaped FHB risk successfully this year. Wheat in the Northern parts (Frederick, Carroll and Harford counties) is either flowering/ will soon start flowering. The FHB risk the state is predicted to be low currently and in the next couple of days to come. If your wheat is yet to flower within this week or the next, keep an eye on the FHB forecasts. I will post updated risk commentaries, if things change over the next week.

--Nidhi Rawat, Small Grains Pathologist, University of Maryland

Currently the risk of Fusarium Head Blight appears to be low in the state of Maryland. In the Eastern Shore and the Southern part of the state wheat is flowering/towards the end of flowering. Growers with their wheat still flowering or are within a window of 4-5 days of flowering are still advised to keep an eye on the FHB risk forecast. In the Northern counties, we are still around 7-10 days away from flowering and wheat does not currently need FHB fungicide spray here either.

--Nidhi Rawat, Small Grains Pathologist, University of Maryland

Wheat growers in western PA should watch their crops closely for heading and flowering moving into the weekend, when very susceptible varieties will be at high risk for scab infection. If you choose to spray, target your wheat crop at early flowering. Caramba, Prosaro and Miravis Ace give good control of most leaf and head diseases, in addition to suppressing scab. Spray nozzles should be angled at 30° down from horizontal, toward the grain heads, using forward- and backward mounted nozzles or nozzles with a two directional spray, such as Twinjet nozzles. Continue to visit wheatscab.psu.edu to use the Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Center, as your fields begin to flower.

--Alyssa A. Collins, Associate Professor, Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology, The Pennsylvania State University