Stripe Rust Webcast

Please join us for a Stripe Rust Update Webcast. Thursday, May 5th at 9:30 am PDT.

We will have presentations by:
Chris Mundt, OSU Wheat Pathologist, Corvallis, Oregon
Mike Flowers, OSU Extension Cereal Specialist, Corvallis, Oregon
Larry Lutcher, OSU Extension Agriculturalist, Heppner, Oregon

The informal presentations will focus on current field conditions across Oregon related to stripe rust. Many growers have made an application of fungicide with their spring herbicide. Given the ongoing cool temperatures and rain showers, we will discuss factors to consider when deciding if a second application will be needed.
The second topic will be: "What wheat variety should we be planting next fall?" Chris and Mike have been evaluating rust levels in the statewide variety testing program - and have seen enough pressure by stripe rust at some locations to talk where we might be seeing differences by variety and how the resistance by variety is holding up given the ongoing stripe rust pressures.

The Webcast can be viewed at the following OSU Extension Offices:

Umatilla County OSU Extension, BMCC Umatilla Hall, Pendleton
Hermiston Agricultural Research and Extension Center, Hermiston,
Morrow County OSU Extension, Heppner,
Gilliam County OSU Extension, Condon
Union County OSU Extension, Union
Central Oregon Agricultural Research Center, Madras
Wasco County OSU Extension, The Dallas
Oregon Wheat Commission Office, Wheat Marketing Center, Portland.

Please plan to join us! Questions: call Shevon 541-278-5403.

Stripe Rust Update, Pacific Northwest

Winter wheat growth stage ranged from Feekes 3 to 6 across the Pacific Northwest according to Dr. Chen, USDA, Pullman, WA.  The growth stage was mostly related to planting date and less so to location.  Some fields in northern Idaho and eastern Washington reached Feeks 5 and 6, but most fields are in the earlier stage.   

The relative lower-than-normal temperatures since mid February have kept crop growing slowly and also made stripe rust develop slowly.  Otherwise, stripe rust could have exploded.   

However, stripe rust is widely occurring in these regions (more than 70% of wheat fields checked yesterday had stripe rust), plus southern central Washington, western and northeastern Oregon, and southern Idaho, which have been previously reported for stripe rust.  

Some growers have treated with fungicide with their spring herbicide applications. Other areas have seen delays due to rain and wind. As weather conditions are forecast to stay cool over the coming week, many questions still remain.

For fields that have not been sprayed, growers should check for stripe rust and consider spraying fungicides when apply herbicides.

In some early planted fields, barley yellow dwarf was severe last fall and should be expected to continue to be a problem this spring.  Do not mistreat barley yellow dwarf from stripe rust.  BYDV disease does not produce powdery rust dust and yellow symptom starts from leaf tips and moves to the middle of leaves, and more severe along field edges. 

We are asking growers and field consultants to assist us in collecting samples in BYDV infected fields. Contact me by email mary.corp@oregonstate.edu if you want to help us.