Plant Disease

Wheat stripe rust
Figure 1. A flag leaf completely covered with stripe rust in a grower’s field in Nuckolls County on May 25.

Stripe Rust Increasing; Spray Your Wheat to Protect the Flag Leaf

June 2, 2016
Stripe rust has significantly increased in all wheat-growing areas in Nebraska. It is recommended that wheat be treated with a fungicide to protect the flag leaf. If the incidence (percentage of flag leaves diseased) or severity (percentage of the flag leaf area diseased) is less than 50%, spraying a fungicide will significantly reduce yield loss due to stripe rust.

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Inconsistent corn stand indicating possible seedling disease
Figure 1. Scout corn stands for intermittent gaps indicating missing or lost plants as well as diseased or dead plants.

Seedling Diseases Continue to Develop in Nebraska Corn

June 2, 2016
Following several weeks of rainy conditions, seedling diseases are becoming more apparent in corn. See what symptoms to look for when scouting fields.

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UNL Extension Plant Pathologist Bob Harveson with his book.
UNL Extension Plant Pathologist Bob Harveson with his book.

UNL Plant Pathologist's Book Offers Tales of Scientific Discovery

April 28, 2016
Does a reader need to be scientist — specifically, a plant pathologist — to appreciate a book about the history of discovering and treating plant diseases? Not if the reader appreciates history, science, and their broader lessons as conveyed through "The Bacterium of Many Colors" by Dr. Robert Harveson, UNL Plant Pathologist at the Panhandle Research and Extension Center.

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