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Aerial fungicide application has advantages to wheatgrowersNebraska Aerial fungicide application provides three advantages over ground application, said Stephen Wegulo, University of Nebraska-Lincoln plant pathologist. A spray plane can respond quickly to a fungus infestation; it can broadcast chemical over crops that would be damaged by a ground rig and it can operate after a rain when the soil is still wet, Wegulo said. Winter wheat in Nebraska is susceptible to several fungus diseases. Among them are leaf spots, such as tan spot and septoria leaf blotch, and scab or fusarium head blight. Scab is sporadic in Nebraska and is favored by wet weather. In addition to these are three rusts: leaf rust, stripe rust and stem rust. Winter wheat has good resistance to stem rust so it doesn't appear very often. A bacterial disease called black chaff also affects wheat. Although other fungi exist in wheat, Wegulo said that these are the major problems for Nebraska growers. Wegulo listed two classes of fungicides used on wheat. One is the systemic class that can penetrate into the plant and kill fungi that are already established in the wheat. The protectant class remains on the surface of the plant and their main function is to protect the plant by preventing the spores from germinating. The main challenge for aerial applicators is to fly at the proper height to allow for thorough coverage of the foliage. Wide-area application of fungicide can result in development of fungus resistance to the fungicide, especially if the same fungicide is applied every year or more than once during the growing season, Wegulo said. Like any other pesticide applicators, crop dusters must be certified, Wegulo said. Like pesticide applicators who use ground rigs, aerial applicators must carefully read fungicide labels and follow directions. They must mix chemicals properly, both in terms of proportion and method. And they should follow any precautions listed on product labels. They should be sure to wear the right gear--long-sleeved shirts, long pants and shoes. For more information, crop dusters and producers can go to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln website known as Plant Disease Central at http://pdc.unl.edu and follow the links. 4/21/08 Date: 4/16/08
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