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Head discoloration in wheatBy David G. Hallauer Meadowlark District Extension Agent, crops, soils, horticulture The wheat fields that I pass on my travels across the District are just beginning to show some color in a few spots. While that's a natural occurrence, there are some undesirable colors showing up as well. If white heads are what you're seeing, the problem is likely one of the root rots (Take-all or Dryland) or maybe wheat stem maggot. Take-all tends to be a problem most in high residue situations, most generally with continuous wheat. We do, however see some of these scattered patches of white heads even without continuous wheat. Dryland root rot is a drought stress condition--not the case this year. Wheat Stem Maggot is common in Kansas, but rarely causes significant yield loss. It usually results in a single white head on a tiller, scattered randomly through the field. Grab the head--if it pulls the stem up easily above the uppermost node, suspect wheat stem maggot. Another consideration is scab. This will sometimes result in white heads, but may also manifest itself at earlier stages as a darker color and later as chalky white or pinkish colored grains. Its brought on by rainy weather during flowering and is most common on wheat following corn. No variety really has resistance, but Overley and 2137 appear to be more susceptible than some others. Scabby grain is generally discounted as test weight suffers. It can be used as animal feed, but does contain potentially toxic mycotoxins. Isolated cases of 'black' headed wheat has also been reported. This is more than likely from loose smut. Loose smut manifests itself at flowering time as grain that has been replaced with black powdery spores. They are typically blown away by wind in advance of harvest leaving parts of or an entire head blank. Little can be done at this point other than to be aware of the head problems you may be seeing. Seed treatments or different varieties should be given consideration for 2008 planting depending on your crop rotation, seed source, etc. Anthracnose on trees If you haven't seen it yet, you may begin to notice anthracnose on sycamore, maple and ash leaves. Sycamore tends to be the worst. Other trees that can be affected include birch, elm, walnut, and oak. Anthracnose is a fungal disease favored by cool, wet weather. Young leaves may wither and turn black. Older leaves may form brown areas that follow the major veins of the leaves. The petiole (leaf stem) can become infected, causing leaf drop. The leaf may look perfectly fine, so look for browned areas on the petiole. In severe cases, the tree drops heavily infected leaves and may be completely defoliated. Normally, trees will leaf out again in a few weeks. Defoliation this early in the year does not affect overall tree health. Trees have plenty of time to produce new leaves and make the energy reserves needed to survive the winter. Because anthracnose seldom causes significant damage, even with complete defoliation, chemical controls are unnecessary. Fungicides do not cure infected leaves, and spraying after seeing symptoms is a waste of time and money. Applying fungicides now is not recommended. 6/16/08 Date: 6/12/08 Advertisement
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