Wheat is now entering the flowering period, when it is susceptible to scab infection, across central and eastern NC. In the northeast, wheat fields should be nearly all fully headed by 2 weeks from now, with flowering following a few days behind. The good news is that for the foreseeable future, scab risk in NC (and surrounding states) is very low due to the current, prolonged period of dry warm weather. The 10-day forecast is for mainly dry weather as well. No fungicide is needed for scab management in wheat or other small grain crops that are heading or flowering this week, and the same will likely hold next week too.

--Christina Cowger, Small Grains Pathologist, USDA-ARS, NC State University