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Wheat stripe rust spreading across Michigan

A Michigan State University Extension educator says outbreaks of wheat stripe rust are the most severe he’s ever seen.

Martin Nagelkirk tells Brownfield wheat stripe rust was found a month earlier than normal.  “Spores have been generating for months now in southern states and a bit to our west and they have been raining down on Michigan wheat fields for the last few weeks.”  He says wheat fields with an outbreak may have 30 to 50 percent yield loss.

Nagelkirk says wheat stripe rust looks similar to leaf rust.  “They tend to be a little bit more orange and yellow in color, and they tend to line up along the vein.”  He says, “In very severe cases, like we’re starting to see now, the whole field kind of turns yellow.”

Nagelkirk recommends farmers scout all wheat fields and use fungicide treatments similar to head scab to combat the disease.

AUDIO: Interview with Martin Nagelkirk