SOUTH-CENTRAL ND CROP SCOUT REPORT (June 18-20)

The NDSU Extension Service annual crop scouting program in south-central North Dakota continued this past week with the emphasis on disease and insect presence in small grain. On June 18-20, 32 fields (2 barley, 2 winter wheat, 3 durum, and 25 spring wheat) were checked in LaMoure, Dickey, Griggs, Foster, Eddy, Benson, Wells, and Sheridan counties. Winter wheat was in the early heading stage and the spring crops were in the tillering to early jointing stages. Tan spot was found in all 30 of the wheat fields. The highest tan spot incidence were in wheat planted on last year=s wheat ground. Tan spot on all wheat had fairly high incidence but low on severity on the highest leaves on the plants. One winter wheat field in Benson county showed a 68% incidence of leaf rust. It is the belief that this leaf rust overwintered in the field. At this point there were no head diseases visible. There were a couple fields showing signs of the Barley Yellow Dwarf virus. Aphids have not been detected, probably due to the rainy weather. Grasshoppers were prevalent in field margins in all scouted fields but one.

(Jerry Schneider)