Dr. Randy Weisz and Christina Cowger issued the following report about wheat scab on May 15, 2008:  While most wheat fields in North Carolina appear to be free of head scab, we are seeing significant scab problems in some eastern locations. At these locations the infection levels appear to be high enough to warrant concern about lowered yield, reduced test weight, and possible problems with elevated levels of mycotoxins in the grain. We expect that these problems are most likely to be found in fields where 10% or more of the heads are showing symptoms. At this time, we have seen some fields with levels as high as 15%.

1. Remember: Scab is not controlled by foliar fungicides currently available in NC. So, fields that were sprayed with a fungicide earlier this Spring will not have been protected from this disease.
2. All wheat fields should be checked before the heads turn golden-brown. In many cases that means NOW! If scab is present, an estimation of the percentage of infected heads should be made.
3. Where infections of 10% or higher are estimated, special effort should be made to adjust the combine to blow scab infested grain out the back of the machine. That will help raise the test weight and lower mycotoxin levels in the grain.