Wheat in Southeastern and South Central portions of Kansas are heading and flowering this week. The risk of severe head blight is low currently. Parts of these regions received multiple rain showers this week. The risk of disease could increase rapidly if moisture returns later this week.

--Erick DeWolf, Plant Pathologist, Kansas State University

Several wheat fields in Kentucky currently are at the early anthesis stage (Feekes growth stage 10.51) or beyond that stage. Currently, the FHB risk map is showing a medium risk for FHB in some areas of Kentucky. With rainfall in the forecast in the upcoming days, this risk may increase and encompass a larger geography. Because of rainfall, soil is saturated in several fields, making it difficult for ground sprayers to apply fungicides. It is important to note that multi-state research trials have shown that effective fungicides registered for FHB control in wheat have been effective in reducing FHB and the associated mycotoxin DON when applied up to 7 days after the early anthesis stage. Please read all fungicide labels before making any applications to ensure that your crop is still at a stage where fungicides can be applied.

--Dr. Carl A. Bradley, Professor and Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky

Welcome to the 2021 Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Center. The Prediction Center was renovated this past year and you may need to refresh your web browser to enjoy some of the new features. Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the locations of help documents (“?” Button), assessment date selection (calendar), and model selection tools (menu button in the upper left).

The Prediction Center is currently focused on an KS, MO, IL, IN, MD, DE and Northern VA. Wheat in parts of these states likely approaching the flowering stages of growth when the crop is most vulnerable for infection by the Fusarium fungus. Currently, the risk maps indicate the risk is low in most areas of country. There are a few areas of moderate risk developing in Southern IL and Southern MO.

--Erick DeWolf, Plant Pathologist, Kansas State University

I hope that you all are staying safe and are vaccinated by now. Wheat season of 2021 is on and we will be providing the FHB risk assessment commentaries regularly to the small grain community throughout the wheat and barley flowering season of 2021. This is the first update in the series.

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 to heading stage and should start flowering within a week or so. Barley, however, is already heading or will be soon heading in this part 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). Even with some intermittent showers, the FHB risk is currently predicted to be low across the state. However, with the rain forecast for this week, the risk may soon escalate. The right fungicides for FHB are Prosaro, Miravis-Ace or Caramba at the right stage of the crop. 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. On the western side of the shore in Frederick, Harford and nearby counties, wheat plants are st arting to joint, and are not at a stage prone for FHB.

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

Barley is now heading across the southern tier of Pennsylvania. 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.

--Director, Southeast Agricultural Research & Extension Center Associate Professor, Plant Pathology and Environmental Microbiology

Head scab risk remains low across most of North Carolina. For wheat flowering today, risk is LOW throughout North Carolina EXCEPT it is medium in Dare County and pockets of the counties north of the Albemarle Sound. Wheat heads are susceptible to Fusarium infection from early flowering through about 7 days after mid-flowering. Fungicides containing QoIs (strobilurins) should be avoided after flag leaf stage, as they can increase DON (AKA vomitoxin) in a scab epidemic. Miravis Ace, Prosaro, Caramba and Proline are about equally effective in reducing scab at early wheat flowering and even several days later. None of those products, including Miravis Ace, is as reliably effective in suppressing scab if applied before flowering, e.g., at 50% heading. In other words, better a little late than early with scab-targeted fungicide applications. Monitor scab risk at wheatscab@psu.edu.

-- Christina Cowger, Small Grains Pathologist, USDA-ARS and North Carolina 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

Welcome to the 2021 Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Center. The Prediction Center was renovated this past year and you may need to refresh your web browser to enjoy some of the new features. Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the locations of help documents (“?” Button), assessment date selection (calendar), and model selection tools (menu button in the upper left).

The Prediction Center is currently focused on an OK, MO, AR, TN, KY, NC and Southern VA. Wheat in these states likely approaching the heading and flowering stages of growth when the crop is most vulnerable for infection by the Fusarium fungus. Currently, the risk maps indicate the risk is low in most areas of country. With moisture in the form of rain and humidity in the forecast, the risk may change rapidly.

--Erick DeWolf, Extension Plant Pathologist, Kansas 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

If you have a small grain crop nearing heading, it’s time to keep an eye on the risk of Fusarium head blight (scab). Scab risk in North Carolina and surrounding states is low for fields flowering now, and the forecast is mostly dry, so risk will remain low for crops heading and flowering in the next 7-10 days. To monitor risk, go to the web site wheatscab.psu.edu. In the upper left corner, the plus key lets you zoom in. Just above it, clicking on the square allows you to choose the level of resistance of your wheat variety. If you don’t know it, assume it is susceptible.

The risk of a severe scab epidemic is given as low (green), medium (yellow), or high (red) for a given area on the map. Risk is always for the assessment date given at the top of the map. The map always “wakes up” with today’s date; you can manually change the date to previous dates if desired. The map is showing you the risk for a wheat crop flowering on that date. Wheat is vulnerable to scab when it is flowering, and barley is vulnerable when heads emerge from the boot. A fungicide targeting scab is only recommended when risk is medium or high at the time your wheat is flowering, or your barley is emerging from the boot.

-- Christina Cowger, Small Grains Pathologist, USDA-ARS and North Carolina 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

Due to wet soils and a late spring, many wheat and barley fields are maturing late this year in North Carolina.  The FHB forecasting website shows medium to high risk across the Coastal Plain and Tidewater, but keep in mind the risk prediction is for wheat flowering today (or your chosen assessment date).  Most small grain fields in North Carolina are in the jointing phase.  Monitor your scab risk closely when your wheat is heading and your barley is in the boot.  Wheat is susceptible to scab when it flowers.  Barley is susceptible when heads emerge from the boot.  Those are the growth stages at which to apply a scab-targeted fungicide IF risk is medium or high.

-- Christina Cowger, Small Grains Pathologist, USDA-ARS and North Carolina 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

Welcome to the 2021 Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Center. The Prediction Center was renovated this past year and you may need to refresh your web browser to enjoy some of the new features. Please take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the locations of help documents (“?” Button), assessment date selection (calendar), and model selection tools (menu button in the upper left).

The Prediction Center is currently focused on southern states where wheat is actively growing and likely moving through the jointing and flag leaf emergence stages of growth. The risk maps indicate the risk is currently low in most areas of LA, MS, AL and GA. Wheat in these areas of the country are likely to enter the vulnerable growth stages over the next two weeks.

-- Stephen Crawford

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