Wheat in the Eastern shore and the Southern part of the Western shore of Maryland has finished flowering, except for a few late-planted fields. Up in the Northwestern counties of the state (Frederick, Howard, Carroll, Harford) also wheat is either flowering currently or is already past flowering. In spite of the sporadic rain events, the risk for FHB is low currently, mostly because of the cool spring season that we are experiencing. We are observing some powdery mildew, rusts, and Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus (BYDV) in some of our test plots at Wye right now. If you are noticing these foliar diseases and thinking of controlling them, it is important to remember that Strobulurin-containing fungicides should not be applied at this stage even for controlling these. BYDV cannot be controlled by fungicides as it is a viral disease. The FHB fungicides (Prosaro/ Miravis-Ace/ Sphaerex/ Prosaro-Pro) will be able to control the other fungal foliar diseases as well.

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

Wheat in Maryland is mostly either flowering or finishing up flowering. As I always say, genetic resistance goes a long way in FHB management. If you planted a resistant variety the FHB risk is minimal at this point, whereas if you have a susceptible variety, the risk is catching up. So, if your wheat is flowering currently, and you have a susceptible variety, it is suggested to consider fungicide application for FHB management. The recommended stage for application of fungicides on wheat is at flowering (50% of the main tillers showing yellow anthers) or within 4-5 days of that. The fungicides effective for FHB are Miravis-Ace/ Prosaro/ Prosaro-Pro/ Sphaerex). These fungicides do not need to be tank mixed with another product for spraying. The fungicide products should be applied at the full rate recommended by the manufacturers. Strobilurin containing fungicides should not be sprayed at this stage. If your wheat is past flowering already, you don’t need to spray these fungicides. However, if it is not flowering yet, it's a good idea to keep a watch on the weather and the FHB risk.

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

Scab infection risk is growing across the state for all resistance classes of wheat and barley, but it is variable by location. If your barley or wheat in high risk areas is heading and approaching flowering, stay alert and consider a fungicide application. Caramba, Miravis Ace, Prosaro, Prosaro Pro, and Sphaerex all provide very good scab suppression. The Miravis Ace label allows for earlier application than Caramba or Prosaro, but best results are still achieved when application is timed after full heading in barley and flowering in wheat. If weather conditions prevent fungicide application at ideal timing, an application as soon as conditions allow will still be quite effective in reducing scab and DON production. Follow labels to determine post-harvest interval constraints for the fungicide you choose.

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

With the recent showers in the state, the risk of Fusarium Head Blight has increased slightly. However, the low temperatures have prevented the risk from being too high presently. Wheat is anywhere from heading to flowering to the end of flowering in the state right now. If you have planted an FHB-resistant variety, you should be okay to skip the fungicide sprays currently. Growers who planted susceptible wheat with their wheat flowering or are within a window of 4-5 days of flowering are advised to spray head scab fungicides: Prosaro/ Prosaro-Pro/ Miravis-Ace/ Sphaerex. These fungicides do not need to be tank mixed with another product for spraying and should be applied at the full rate recommended by the manufacturers. Strobilurin-containing fungicides should not be sprayed at this stage. With more rain coming, keep an eye on the FHB risk if your wheat is not flowering yet.

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

Wheat in the southeast region of Kansas is at or near the flowering stages of growth and early portions of grain development that are most vulnerable to infection by the Fusarium fungus. The current map indicates a low risk for severe disease. Growers in these states should keep an eye out for weather systems that could bring rain and extended periods of high relative humidity. These weather conditions could increase the risk of disease.

--Erick DeWolf, Plant Pathologist, Kansas State University

Wheat in southern Indiana has started to head out and will probably start flowering (Feekes 10.5.1) in the next week. Currently the six day forecast for FHB is low for most of the state, but rain is predicted again next week. In central Indiana our wheat is at flag leaf (Feekes 9).

Wheat will be susceptible to FHB infection as it moves into early anthesis through full flower. A fungicide application may provide protection during this critical time. The updated wheat fungicide efficacy guide is a resource that can provide guidance on fungicide choice for efficacy against FHB and other diseases. It is available on the Crop Protection Network at https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/publications/fungicide-efficacy-for-c…. Continue to monitor the risk as weather changes over the next few weeks to see what happens as the rest of the state moves into that critical time period.

--Dr. Darcy Telenko, Assistant Professor Extension Specialist, Purdue University

Barley is heading across the region, and scab risk is on its way up! If you missed a fungicide application at 50% heading, there’s great news: we have recently revised our recommendations regarding fungicide timing. Work done by researchers in North Carolina found that the best spray timing for protecting winter barley from scab is application six days after 100% heading. With this new guidance we should get better DON reduction in barley than under our previous recommendation which targeted 50% heading. Current labels state that the last stage of application is mid-flower and there is a 30-day harvest restriction. Do not use any of the strobilurins (Quadris, Headline), or strobilurin/triazole (Twinline, Quilt, Stratego) combination products at flowering or later. There is evidence that they may cause an increase in mycotoxin production.

Caramba, Miravis Ace, Prosaro, Prosaro Pro, and Sphaerex all provide very good scab suppression. The Miravis Ace label allows for earlier application than Caramba or Prosaro, but best results are still achieved when application is timed after full heading in barley. Spray nozzles should be angled at 30 deg down from horizontal, toward the grain heads, using forward- and backward-mounted nozzles or nozzles with a two-directional spray, such as Twinjet nozzles. Additionally, a fungicide treatment at heading using any of these products will also give you excellent control of most leaf diseases as well.

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

Many wheat fields will begin going through early anthesis (flowering; Feekes growth stage 10.51) this week in Kentucky. Although rain occurred in some areas of Kentucky over the last few days, the chances for precipitation over the next few days are relatively low. Wheat continues to be susceptible to infection by the FHB pathogen beyond early anthesis, so it is important to consider making a fungicide application at Feekes 10.51 to provide protection during this critical time. The wheat fungicide efficacy guide on the Crop Protection Network (www.cropprotectionnetwork.com) provides information about which fungicide products provide the greatest efficacy against FHB and other important diseases.

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

The Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Center provide daily estimates of disease risk for wheat and barley in 35 states. The map displays the probability of severe disease with red and orange areas of the map having the greatest risk. Wheat production in Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, North Carolina, Delaware and Maryland are the current focus of the prediction effort. The disease models currently indicate a low risk of disease for most of this area. Growers in these states should keep an eye out for weather systems that could bring rain and extended periods of high relative humidity. These weather conditions could increase the risk of disease.

Tips of using the tool: The prediction center uses a wheat growth model to focus the estimates of disease risk on areas where the crop is at or approaching the vulnerable stages of growth for Fusarium infection. Areas where the crop is too young, or is already approaching harvest are displayed as a gray color on the map.

The tool shows the disease risk for susceptible wheat varieties for todays date. You can select earlier assessment dates by clicking on the calendar menu at the top of the risk map. Use the menu button on the upper left to active risk maps for wheat varieties with moderate levels of genetic resistance to Fusarium head blight.

Risk maps based on 2, 4 or 6 days of forecasted weather can help users anticipate future trends in disease risk. These maps are available by selecting the 2d, 4d and 6d buttons to the right of the calendar menu.

--Erick DeWolf, Plant Pathologist, Kansas State University

Wheat in the Eastern Shore of Maryland is flowering or will do so in a couple of days. Early varieties in the North are also flowering currently (Information: Mr. Andrew Kness, Harford County, UMD Extension). With this weeks rains, and more showers coming our way, the risk of Fusarium Head may increase, albeit not being high currently in the majority of the state. The FHB risk over Worcester, Wicomico and Somerset counties is catching up slowly. Growers with currently flowering wheat here may consider spraying head scab fungicides (Prosaro/ Prosaro-Pro/ Sphaerex/ Miravis-Ace). These fungicides do not need to be tank mixed with another product for spraying. The fungicide products should be applied at the full rate recommended by the manufacturers. Strobilurin containing fungicides should not be sprayed at this stage. Aerial application at a rate of 5 gallons per acre or ground application at 15 gallons per acre with 300-350 um droplet size is recommended. Spray nozzles should be angle d at 30-45 degrees down from horizontal, toward the grain heads, using forward- and backward-mounted nozzles or nozzles with a two directional spray, such as Twinjet nozzles. If your wheat is not flowering currently, you may want to wait to see how the weather and the risk unfolds over the next couple of weeks.

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