New Forecasting System for Fusarium Head Blight Now Available

Damon Smith, Extension Field Crops Pathologist, Department of Plant Pathology, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Fusarium head blight (FHB or scab) was a very damaging disease for many winter wheat growers in Wisconsin in 2014. This disease is caused by a fungus called Fusarium graminearum and infects the heads when the wheat flowers are open. Not only does the colonization of the fungus into the grain cause a reduction in kernel size and overall development, but also the fungus can produce a toxin called deoxynivalenol or vomitoxin. Vomitoxin can be extremely toxic to not only humans, but also livestock. For more information about the specific biology and management of FHB, CLICK HERE to download a fact sheet.

To read the full article click on the link below:

http://fyi.uwex.edu/fieldcroppathology/2015/04/20/new-forecasting-system-for-fusarium-head-blight-now-available/