05/22/06 Much less stripe rust this year

Farm and Ranch May 29, 2006 A year ago at this time there was an epidemic of stripe rust in areas of the Pacific Northwest but the disease is much less of a problem so far this year. Suess: "I've heard from the traditional rust area, down by Connell, Kahlotus, those areas, and as of right now because of this dry weather haven't been finding a lot of rust in those areas. So, I guess that is really good news to them." That's Randy Suess, Chairman of the Washington Wheat Commission. In his latest stripe rust update, Xianming Chen of the Agricultural Research Service at Pullman, also says that except for the Horse Heaven Hills area, no stripe rust was found in commercial fields from Pullman to Walla Walla, Pendleton, Hermiston and the Connell areas in a survey conducted early last week. Chen notes that last week's hot temperatures were not favorable for rust infection. However, he says cooler and moist weather this week might be favorable for development of the disease and rain-fed fields of susceptible cultivars should be checked after this week. Irrigated fields of susceptible wheat varieties should be checked more often. Chen says that because of the later occurrence of stripe rust, and the so far low rust inoculum pressure, moderately resistant to moderately susceptible cultivars, which needed fungicide spray last year, may not need spray this year. Even though rust pressure is currently low, he says, spring wheat may still be vulnerable to stripe rust if the weather conditions turn favorable for the disease, and that would be cool and wet. I'm Bob Hoff and that's the Northwest Farm and Ranch Report on the Northwest Ag Information Network.