Critical time for spring wheat and stripe rust
Washington Ag Today June 22, 2010 Stripe rust is everywhere and we have reached the critical time for fungicide applications on spring wheat. That’s what Pullman-based Agricultural Research Service Scientist Xianming Chen states in his latest stripe rust update for the Pacific Northwest. Winter wheat has pretty much developed past the point at which fungicides can be applied. Chen says that based on the rust situation and weather conditions so far, and predicted for the next two weeks, a highly susceptible crop of either winter or spring wheat could easily have a yield loss of more than 60 percent. The rust update lists commonly grown spring wheats that are either moderately or highly susceptible to stripe rust and for which spraying should be considered if the disease is found in the field. Chen lists them as Hank, Hollis, Bullseye, Zak, Eden, Macon, Tara 2000, Nick, Westbred 926 and Scarlet. Other varieties may or may not need a fungicide. Increasing output per cow and a smaller contraction of the U.S. dairy herd has milk production increasing, but USDA Outlook Board Chairman Jerry Bange says fewer imports and better global demand for U.S. dairy products has prices improving. Bange: “We are looking for exports for 2010 right at five billion pounds and looking at 5.1 billion pounds for 2011. Both of those numbers increased fairly significantly.” So USDA’s latest all-milk price forecast for 2010 is up a nickel at $15.95 and it is estimated to rise to $16.30 for 2011. I’m Bob Hoff and that’s Washington Ag Today on Northwest Aginfo Net.
