Flowering is 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 low in these areas and so no fungicide application is needed. For most parts, wheat is now in the grain-filling stage and should be ready for harvesting in the next couple of weeks. We experienced some showers this season, but the temperatures remained low, so symptom development in terms of bleached spikelets is limited especially if the planted variety is resistant. It is advisable to get the DON content of the harvested grain samples analyzed before taking it to the market.

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

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