MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS
Wheat Grower Update 4.3.23
Wheat is beginning to head out and flower. Please read the below and spray at the correct time to help control FHB.
FHB is the biggest problem in most areas and has cut yields in half and ruined the quality of wheat for the last four years. Rainfall or irrigation will increase infection if it occurs during the 5-6 days of flowering.
Wheat growers MUST change their fungicides to control FHB. Please look at labeled fungicides and choose wisely for FHB control. Below you will find what we have been doing wrong in the past years to control FHB.
Strobilurins can actually increase vomitoxin (DON) relative to an unsprayed check. This effect of increasing DON gets worse the closer the wheat gets to flowering. It’s best not to apply a strobilurin-containing fungicide after flag leaf. This goes for pure strobilurins and strobilurin-triazole mixes. Some triazoles are more effective than others at reducing FHB kernel damage and vomitoxin. The good ones are Caramba, Proline, Prosaro, and the best option is Miravis Ace. Tilt and Folicur do some good, but not enough in a bad SCAB year.
Bottom line: We would suggest using Propiconazole or Tebuconazole to correct early problems with powdery mildew. When your wheat normally flowers (Feekes 10:5: see first photo) and up to 5 days after flowering, put our Caramba, Proline, Prosaro, or Miravis Ace. This approach should decrease your exposure to FHB while keeping other diseases in check.
Foliar insectice treatments for aphid control: A well-timed insecticide application of a persistent pyrethroid insecticide such as lambda cyhalothrin (Warrior, Karate, Lambda, Silencer, others) will kill aphids and reduce the incidence of BYD and increase yields.
A spray at wheat flowering will be one of the most important tools a wheat grower can use in 2023. Wheat gets FHB or SCAB during this flowering time.
Information from Christina Cowger, Small Grains Pathologist USDA-ARS North Carolina State University and Intensive Wheat Management in Georgia.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE GIVE US A CALL!
GA Office: 229-734-5466
SC Office: 803-531-1777
