Wheat Update: powdery mildew & aphids

The rain last week really helped our water problem and our wheat crop. Some areas were still dry and most got very good rain out of this event.  Powdery mildew and aphids were also washed off your wheat and some fields were getting close to needing a spray. The cooler days and nights below 45 degrees will really help this wheat crop. Most wheat I saw last week was between Feekes 6 and 7 and is about 7 days earlier than last year. Overall we have a great crop that could have a longer grain fill that could give great yields if we get some cool nights <45.

The Powdery Mildew photo above is a good example of what you could have seen in your fields last week. The dry weather and nights below 55 degrees will help keep mildew off your wheat. If you get a severe mildew problem when it warms back up then use propiconazole at the low rate it will cure your mildew. Do not spray your primary fungicide until the wheat heads, around Feekes 10.4 is best

The aphid photo (below) is a good example of what you found last week in your fields and shows a colony growing and getting ready to fly to another area in your field spreading Barley Yellow Dwarf which can hurt your yield. A lambda insecticide will cure that problem.

Here is a link to the UGA charts on pesticide and fungicide sprays and rates.

Do not use 2-4-D this late in the growing season.

Good Growing!

Information obtained from 2012 Georgia Pest Control Handbook and Intensive Wheat Management in Georgia.  As always follow label and dispose of empties properly.