Wheat Diseases: Symptoms and Treatment

Wheat is one of the most important crops in the world. It is primarily used to make flour for all kinds of bread but it is also used to make alcoholic beverages. Wheat straw is used as food for animals and also to make baskets, carpets, paper and bedding, among other things. Wheat is an annual and biennial crop that is produced mainly for their grains.

However, it is pretty common for wheat crops to get diseases and die all over the world. It is a huge problem almost every farmer that grows wheat has been through. Here’s how you can identify those diseases in the early stages and also eliminate them and cure the plants before it’s too late.  

Brown Rust Symptoms

Randomly scattered small and round dots of orange-brown color on the leaves. 

Brown Rust Treatment

To protect the crop from Brown Rust, spray 5 liters of sour buttermilk mixed with 200 liters of water. 

Amaranth a common green leaf vegetable or Pudina leaf dust can also be used as a fine spray to prevent the infection of rusts.

Foliar spray of dry leaf extract of Hibiscus (China rose) can also prevent rust infection. 

Yellow Rust Symptoms

Symmetrical orange-yellow stripes appear on the leaf and in severe cases; it spreads to the sheath, stalks, and glumes. 

Yellow Rust Treatment

It is advised to spray the crop with Propiconazole (Tilt) 25 EC @ 0.1 % (1 ml/liter) to get rid of yellow rust on the wheat crop. 0.5 liter per hectare of the fungicide shall be sufficient to effectively cover the wheat crop. 

Mildew Symptoms

White fluffy pustulates appear on the leaves, stem and sometimes even on the ear of the wheat plant. After some time, the white pustulates turn brown and eventually black. 

Mildew Treatment

Chlorothalonil is the primary protectant fungicide used to treat mildew on wheat. Copper fungicides and sulfur can be used as well. 

Fusarium Foot Rot Symptoms

Early symptoms show dark brown streaks on the seedling leaf sheaths. 

Fusarium Foot Rot Symptoms

Rotate crops to reduce the chances of Fusarium foot rot. Avoid planting wheat following corn or wheat. Seed treatment fungicides provide an early window of protection against root rot.

Fusarium Ear Blight Symptoms

It infects the head and turns the kernels chalky white. Infected florets look oily and dark in color. 

Fusarium Ear Blight Treatment

Carbendazim, a fungicide, can help control the Fusarium disease. It also helps with reducing mycotoxin levels in grains.