Latest Control Measures for Major Wheat Seedling Diseases

The weather is gradually turning cooler, which is exactly the period for planting winter wheat. At this time, sowing and raising seedlings of winter wheat begins across the country, and due to climate change and the influence of cultivation management and irrigation, wheat seedling diseases are becoming increasingly severe. So what diseases affect wheat seedlings? Let's take a look together.

1. Rust

Wheat rust, also known as yellow blister disease, is the most widespread and most damaging disease in wheat production in China. It mainly occurs on leaves, and also harms leaf sheaths, stems and heads. The symptoms vary depending on the affected part, and it can be identified by the saying “stripe rust in rows, leaf rust in chaos, stem rust is a big red spot”. The optimal temperature for stripe rust is 9-16, for leaf rust 15-22 degrees, and for stem rust 18-25, so in production the usual order of occurrence is stripe rust—leaf rust—stem rust.

Control measures: First, select varieties with strong disease resistance, treat seeds with chemicals before sowing to prevent disease, strengthen field management during planting and management, rationally combine nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers, apply sufficient base fertilizer, and cultivate strong seedlings. Volunteer wheat is the main oversummering host of the three rusts, so removing volunteer wheat seedlings in combination with field management can reduce a large amount of oversummering inoculum and lower the incidence of rust.

2. Sheath blight

Also known as small eye spot disease, it is a root disease. After seedlings are infected with the sheath blight pathogen, symptoms such as rotten buds and dead diseased seedlings appear at the seedling stage.

Control measures: Choose moderately resistant and tolerant varieties, which is an economical and feasible disease control measure at this time, practice rational crop rotation, strengthen field management, rotate wheat with rapeseed, soybean, etc., to reduce the accumulation of inoculum in the field, reduce seeding rate, control plant density, and balance fertilization. When disease occurs, spray chemicals in time, with the application time at the early jointing stage of wheat, to prevent the disease from invading the stems.

3. Take-all

Also known as wheat seedling blight and black foot disease, it is also a root disease, but it only infects the roots and the 1—2 nodes at the base of the stem. After seedlings are infected, the plants appear short and stunted, with many yellow lower leaves, and the seed roots and underground stem turn grayish black. In severe cases, it causes patches of wheat seedlings to die.

Control measures: Choose varieties with strong disease resistance, practice rational crop rotation, strengthen field management, deep plow and turn the soil before planting, prepare the land finely, and fertilize rationally, which can reduce the number of pathogens in the soil layer. Timely intertillage can promote root development. Seed treatment with chemicals can be carried out before sowing, or before sowing use 50% carbendazim or 70% thiophanate-methyl 2-3 kg plus fine soil 20-30 kg and evenly spread it on the soil surface, then rotary till.

  The above is an introduction to control measures for major wheat seedling diseases. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please follow us.