Leaf rust remained the most widespread disease observed during wheat disease surveys conducted June 15–17 across western Nebraska. Drought stress and freeze damage from earlier in the growing season also continued to be evident in many dryland fields visited during the surveys and accompanying wheat field days.

Wheat disease surveys were conducted in conjunction with western Nebraska wheat field days held in Hitchcock, Perkins, Cheyenne and Box Butte Counties. The first field day was in Hitchcock County on June 15 at a dryland state variety trial in a grower’s field (Figure 1) and the last field day was in Box Butte County at an irrigated state variety trial in a grower’s field (Figure 2).

Attendees included growers, representatives from the Nebraska Wheat Board, industry partners, and Nebraska Extension faculty. University of Nebraska–Lincoln experts, the executive director of NU Horizon Genetics, and industry representatives highlighted the agronomic traits and disease resistance characteristics of breeding lines and varieties developed by public institutions and private companies.

The effects of still continuing drought and the freeze damage that occurred earlier in the growing season were evident in dryland fields (Figure 3).

Wheat growth stage ranged from milk in the northern Panhandle to hard dough in the south central and southwest. Leaf rust (Figure 4) was observed as far north as Box Butte County in the northern Panhandle. Its incidence and severity decreased the farther west and north it was observed.

Other diseases observed at trace to moderate levels were Fusarium head blight (Figure 5), stripe rust (Figure 6), and the wheat streak mosaic disease complex (Figures 7 and 8).