This past week's hot and humid weather continues to be forecasted for the next five to seven days. Both the National FHB Risk model as well as the NDSU Small Grain Disease Forecasting Model are, and will likely continue, to indicate moderate to high risk for for spring wheat varieties that are rated as very susceptible and susceptible to Fusarium head blight varieties and moderate risk for the spring wheat varieties that are rated as moderately susceptible and moderately resistant across Minnesota and eastern North Dakota.

Meanwhile, there are a few confirmed reports of leaf rust in wheat and crown rust in oats. I suspect that most oat cares are past the window of a fungicide application. If, however, you find your combine turn an orange/brown color during harvest a fungicide would have been an input with a high return in investment. And while hindsight might be the rear end of a cow, remember it for next year's oat crop.

Bacterial leaf streak (BLS) is starting to show in barley and wheat. The easiest way to confirm BLS is to look for the disease when there is still dew on the leaves. If you suspect BLS lesions, simply out your finger behind the leaf and pull the leaf over your finger BLS lesions will almost be transparent and you can see your finger through the leaf tissue. Understand that fungicides do not control BLS and that you can find BLS in field treated with a fungicide.

Finally, a fourth flight if armyworm into NW Minnesota was reported by Dave Grafstrom at the Magnusson Research Farm near Roseau. With the recent storms there is now plenty of lodged grain that would be very attractive to armyworms. If you see feeding on leaves, check not just for grasshoppers and armyworms, especially in those areas that have lodged.

--Jochum Wiersma, Small Grains Specialist, University of Minnesota