BYD Aphids are Fly and Strip Rust is Lurking

by Juliet Marshall

Yes, I know most of the acres of winter wheat and winter barley are already planted. If the grain is up and wasn’t treated with an insecticidal seed treatment, it will be vulnerable to aphid infestation and Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus infection. The disease Barley Yellow Dwarf (BYD) can cause significant yield loss depending upon the weather.

If planted grain WAS treated with an insecticidal seed treatment, you may still be at risk depending on date of planting. Early planted grain may run out of protection, as seed treatment protection is limited. Please see the attached file for more information! 

Be aware! Aphids ARE being found in the newly planted winter wheat! While that may be good news for us in our BYDV insecticide trial and for screening for resistance in new winter wheat varieties, it will not be good news for cereal producers. 

And for more information, see the CIS 1210 available online: http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edcomm/pdf/CIS/CIS1210.pdf

Stripe rust infection in fall planted winter wheat was confirmed in Montana by Dr. Mary Burrows (visit http://www.mtagalert.org/ ). That doesn’t mean we have fall infection as well, but it definitely indicates that we have increased risk! The beautiful fall weather allows green bridge material (volunteer grain) to become well established, providing a reservoir for disease (stripe rust especially) and insects (aphids and mites) that transmit BYDV and WSMV.