Leaf and stripe rust infests Central Texas wheat

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service (AgriLife) has received more reports than normal for this time of year of both leaf and stripe rust on wheat.

Wheat rusts are fungal diseases that affect wheat and other small grains. Stripe rust prefers cool, moist weather, whereas leaf rust becomes more prevalent later in the spring when temperatures increase, according to the High Plains/Midwest Ag Journal.

“There have been a number of reports out of the Blacklands and Central Texas in general,” said Clark Neely, AgriLife Extension small grains and oilseed specialist. “If conditions remain ideal for rust, we could see a pretty heavy rust year.”

In recent years, fungicide trials in College Station showed leaf rust can reduce yields up to 50 percent on untreated check plots. And stripe rust can be just as devastating, if not more so, Neely said.