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MSU encouraging growers to take community approach for Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus control

A wheat extension educator says neighboring farmers can work together to control Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus better.

Michigan State University’s Dennis Pennington says, “If you have a field, you’re going to plant the wheat this fall, and the neighbor has volunteer wheat in it, if you are controlling volunteer wheat on your farm and your fields, but they are not, they can cause infection on yours.”

“This needs to be a group effort,” he says.

He says wheat curl mites can overwinter on hosts like volunteer wheat and increase the spread of the disease between seasons.

“That will reduce populations and reduce the amount of disease and infection it would have in our winter wheat,” he explains. “Now would be the time to make those decisions.”

Pennington says he expects planting in Michigan to start in about three weeks.

Recent MSU surveys found the virus in more than half of samples in the state.

Pennington gave recommendations during a recent MSU Extension Field Crops Virtual Breakfast.