Greensboro, North Carolina, USA
April 25, 2013
- The Cereals Disease Laboratory reports stripe rust is increasing in Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi
- Syngenta recommends sound scouting techniques and timely fungicide applications
For the second consecutive year, stripe rust was observed earlier than usual across the Delta, and Syngenta advises area winter wheat growers to remain alert for stripe rust infections. This year, stripe rust was first observed in Arkansas in December, one month earlier than the earliest stripe rust observation record that was set last season.
Rains and favorable temperatures set the stage for continued spread of stripe rust spores, which is being closely monitored by Syngenta and the Cereals Disease Laboratory. Due to the unusual nature of this situation, Syngenta urges wheat growers to actively scout all fields, regardless of variety, to assess the need for a fungicide application.
“This was earlier than normal for signs of stripe rust, but this is the second year in a row that stripe rust has shown up early in our fields,” explained Keith Driggs, a Syngenta agronomic service representative based in Arkansas. “Generally when stripe rust is bad this early, it will be bad throughout the season.”
Stripe rust likes uniform cool temperatures and the Delta has had many cold days. With the cooler temperatures the Delta had this winter and the rains, dews and fogs this region has had lately, stripe rust continues to develop, according to Stephen Harrison, professor at the School of Plant, Environmental & Soil Sciences at LSU AgCenter.
“There are fields in the Delta that have hotspots of stripe rust that are quite large, and spores have been spreading from these hot spots for a couple months already,” reported Gene Milus, plant pathologist, University of Arkansas. “The strategies for managing stripe rust both within the field, within the state and within the eastern US are to find these fields with hot spots and apply a fungicide as early as we can.”
Management recommendations
With the early stripe rust observations and current stripe rust outbreak, careful management will be key to minimizing damage and capitalizing on the potential for above average yields. Timing will be the most important factor in management. For growers that discovered early stripe rust in their fields, many applied a fungicide, such as Tilt®, mixed with a herbicide at jointing stage.
The most critical point is when the flag leaf emerges. Protecting the flag leaf and the flag minus one leaf helps maximize yield potential because the flag leaf is responsible for feeding the grain, making it the most important contributor to final grain yield. If growers still have the disease developing at this time, a second fungicide application may be necessary.
“We don’t want growers to expect this to be a one and done application when they apply a fungicide this early,” Driggs urged. “If the weather stays highly favorable for stripe rust, even with an early fungicide application, chances are if weather conditions stay favorable in the Delta, growers will need a second fungicide application of Quilt® or Quilt Xcel® fungicide.”
Syngenta reminds growers to plan ahead and act early to help boost overall quality and vitality of each and every plant. Both Quilt and Quilt Xcel help cereal crops to better use the sun’s energy, increase water-use efficiency and extend grain fill as the final step in optimizing yields. Quilt brand fungicides combine two proven brands to deliver enhanced physiological benefits, as well as complete disease protection to allow the crop to reach its full yield potential. These broad-spectrum fungicides act both preventively and curatively through systemic activity against diseases such as rusts, tan spot, powdery mildew and Septoria leaf blight.
As the Cereal Disease Laboratory continues to track stripe rust and other diseases through the Delta, winter wheat growers should ensure their crops are protected from diseases to maximize yield. Careful preparation, disease monitoring, scouting, and preventive and curative fungicide programs can all help contribute to a successful disease-management plan throughout the growing season.
For more information about Syngenta crop protection solutions please visit www.cereals.farmassist.com. Follow Syngenta on Twitter (@SyngentaUS) and Facebook (Facebook.com/FarmAssist).
About Syngenta
Syngenta is one of the world's leading companies with more than 27,000 employees in over 90 countries dedicated to our purpose: Bringing plant potential to life. Through world-class science, global reach and commitment to our customers, we help to increase crop productivity, protect the environment and improve health and quality of life. For more information about us, please go to www.syngenta.com.
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