Chad Lee © 2006 University of Kentucky 1

Wheat Diseases (Fusarium Head Blight)

Presentation by: Chad Lee, Grain Crops Extension Specialist

University of Kentucky

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Most of the information comes from:

ID-125: A Comprehensive Guide to Wheat Management in Kentucky

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Objectives

• Fusarium Head Blight (Head Scab)• Management Options

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Three Critical Management Issues

1. Seeding: Date, Depth, Rate2. N Rate and Timing3. Fusarium Head Blight

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Disease Management

• Choose disease-tolerant varieties.• Rotate Crops

– Reduces Pythium root rot and take-all.

• Other disease are airborne– Stagonospora, Septoria, Fusarium– Rotation has less impact on these

diseases.

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Fusarium Head Blight

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Year Harvested

Acres Planted (x1,000)

Acres Harvested(x1,000)

Yield per Acre

2001 550 360 66

2002 530 330 53

2003 500 350 59

2004 530 380 54

Wheat Production

Kentucky Agricultural Statistics Service

Record HighModerate Disease

High Disease

Low Disease

High Disease

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Year Production Price Value

(x1000 bu) ($/Bu) (x $1000)

2001 23,760 2.50 59,400

2002 17,160 3.01 51,652

2003 21,700 3.25 66,495

2004 20,520

Kentucky Agricultural Statistics Service

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Fusarium Head Blight

• Pathogen: Fusarium graminearum• Host: Wheat• Disease: Fusaorium Head Blight

(head scab, FHB)

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Disease Management: FHB

• Fusarium Head Blight • Symptoms visible in Feekes 11.1-

11.5• Warm, moist conditions during

Feekes 10.51-10.54 favor development of FHB.

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Disease Management: FHB

• Fungicides: Folicur, Section 18 in KY– Moderate suppression of FHB. – Effective for low levels of FHB, but not for high

levels of FHB.– Very difficult to overcome favorable weather

timed with crop stage.

• Varying wheat varieties/planting dates may help avoid FHB in some fields.

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Disease Management: FHB

• Probably single-most damaging factor to wheat yields in Kentucky in 2003 and 2004.

• No apparent differences between conventional and no-till wheat.

• Airborne spores likely “swamp” most fields, regardless of tillage history.

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Variety Development

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Variety Development

• Dr. Van Sanford has an active program looking for Type II resistance to FHB– Type II: spread of FHB in the head of

wheat is slowed

• Some developmental lines express Type II

• The goal: combine Type II with yield

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Variety Development

• Syngenta has reported to being close to developing a biotech wheat with resistance to FHB– Would produce enzymes to fight off the

pathogen

• Close: 2008? 2009? 2010?

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Disease ManagementSeed Fungicide Treatments

• Combination mixes such as Raxil-Thiram or Dividend– Reduce soil-born pathogens such as

Pythium, Fusarium, Rhizoctonia, Septoria, and Stagonospora

– Improves germination rates of infected seeds (i.e. Fusarium-infected seeds) by an average of 15%

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Weed Management

• Burndown Herbicides (no-till)– Gramoxone– Glyphosate

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