Our small grain is booting now and starting to see it heading out pretty good in some fields. We don’t have much wheat for grain in Wilcox, but this wheat field in Dooly County was hit hard with powdery mildew on March 1st. Generally we don’t have to treat for powdery mildew. It hits about late winter and stays low on the plant. As long as it stays off the flag leaf, it doesn’t cause problems.
However, ag consultant John Offenburg found this field where PM was up on the flag leaves and in a large spot. In this case, we have to put a fungicide on it and hold it back. Not a big issue, but if we’re in the field, something to look for at this time.
Leaf Rust
The traditional disease we have to worry about in small grain is leaf and stripe rust. So far, none has been found in GA to my knowledge. It’ll come in the Southwest corner of the state and move our way. When it is found near, we will need to put out a protectant fungicide. We will keep an update on this…
