News

Striped Rust found in southern Wisconsin winter wheat

A plant pathologist says striped rust is already active in some southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois winter wheat fields.  Dr. Damon Smith with the University of Wisconsin tells Brownfield the active fungus was discovered while scouting crops near Sharon, Wisconsin… just north of the Illinois state line.  “These were in some plots that we happened to find Striped Rust in last fall. Typically, this isn’t a problem.  If we do have these fall infections for this part of the country but apparently this season, that winter temperature was just mild enough for us to see some of it survive.”

Smith says the spores don’t normally survive Wisconsin winters.  “You might expect it in the southern part of Illinois, maybe even up into the central part of Illinois, but for us here, it’s pretty unusual and we believe this is probably the first find of overwintering Striped Rust for us here in Wisconsin.”

Smith urges farmers to scout winter wheat fields for signs of Striped Rust, and prepare to spray the entire field with one of many effective treatments.  He says if Striped Rust gets too advanced, it can rob yields.  “Yield reductions can be as high as five bushels for every ten percent increase, so it’s a pretty serious disease.”

Smith says crop consultants and his website can guide farmers on products and when to apply them for the best results.