Extreme temperature change, weather damage and disease are posing an issue to Kansas producers, say K-State experts
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Following fall weather that benefited wheat growth, Kansas producers are now facing challenges in wheat fields across the state.
From drought stress and repeated freeze events to hail damage and emerging disease concerns, this year’s wheat crop has faced a series of setbacks across much of the state.
“If we think back to the fall conditions, we were actually pretty happy with the crop,” said Romulo Lollato, Kansas State University wheat production specialist.
Planting conditions were favorable in many areas, with timely moisture helping establish strong stands heading into winter.
“(This year’s winter wheat had a) great stand establishment overall and (also received) decent moisture,” Lollato said.
Warm winter temperatures allowed the crop to continue growing during months when wheat would typically remain more dormant. That growth increased water use during a period when moisture is often conserved for later grain production.
“With the crop using more water, being further ahead in development and receiving less than normal precipitation, we started getting into much more drought-stress conditions throughout the crop,” Lollato said.
The accelerated development also left the crop more vulnerable to freeze damage during several cold snaps this spring.
“The wheat crop is essentially three weeks ahead of schedule from normal time frames,” Lollato said.
Cold temperatures in March and again in April hit portions of the crop during sensitive growth stages, including stem elongation and flowering.
“In a lot of the state, we’re kind of losing some of those primary tillers because of that cold snap,” Lollato said.
More recent freezes may have caused sterility within wheat heads, reducing grain yield potential even further. Additionally, spring storms have brought hail damage to several areas.
“I was hearing reports from Pratt that fields got (destroyed) with some fairly large hail damage,” Lollato said.
Disease pressure is also beginning to emerge in parts of Kansas.
K-State wheat pathologist Kelsey Andersen Onofre said leaf rust and stripe rust have recently been identified in several Kansas counties. To date, stripe rust has been reported in Sumner, Gray, Finney, Riley and Lane counties while leaf rust is active in Sumner, Edwards, Lane, Barton, Riley and Nemaha counties.”
“This is the time of year when we’re watching pretty carefully for some of our major wheat diseases as producers consider the need for fungicide applications,” Andersen Onofre said.
While drought stress may limit fungicide decisions in some fields, producers with irrigated wheat or stronger yield potential are encouraged to continue scouting for disease issues.
“We are seeing this leaf rust level pick up in certain parts of the state,” Andersen Onofre said.
Fusarium head blight, also known as scab, is another concern in portions of southeast, south-central and northeast Kansas where humidity and moisture conditions have favored disease development.
“Wheat viruses are also present in Kansas fields, with barley yellow dwarf virus and wheat streak mosaic complex popping up across the state”.
Even with the setbacks, K-State wheat experts say the crop could still recover some yield potential if favorable weather develops through grain fill.
“If I could choose one thing moving forward to ensure we still have an okay wheat crop, it would definitely be some (additional) moisture,” Lollato said.
Cooler temperatures and additional rainfall during the coming weeks could help stabilize conditions and improve grain development.
“The crop can still recover quite a bit of its performance,” Lollato said. “If we do have cool and moist conditions, we can still have an okay crop.”
K-State specialists also encourage producers to attend upcoming Kansas wheat plot tours scheduled throughout May to evaluate varieties and discuss current field conditions. More information is available through local K-State Extension offices or the K-State Agronomy eUpdate newsletter.
