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Wheat scab a concern in saturated North Dakota
Some wheat growing areas of the Upper Midwest are saturated, prompting concerns about disease pressure.
Dan Melaas covers central and western North Dakota for BASF and tells Brownfield April and May have been plagued by heavy snow and frequent rains.
“With the conditions we’re having a lot of the wheat is going in the ground right now, we’ve got more moisture which will lead to a better chance of having head scab once we get into the flowering time period.”
He recommends using a fungicide when the crop is heading and says if left untreated, wheat scab can reduce yields by as much as 30 percent.
“And with that, if you’ve got high DON levels there are pretty steep discounts at the elevator if it goes unchecked.”
Melaas says he’s also concerned about white mold in soybeans because the growing season is starting off so wet.
