Top Crop Manager

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Wheat streak mosaic virus in Alberta

June 27, 2016 - Wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV) has been reported in North Dakota, Montana, and Alberta in 2016.

“Early symptoms of WSMV include yellow streaks,” says Shelley Barkley, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Brooks. “The initial leaf symptoms of wheat streak virus infection are yellow streaks or yellow-green mosaic patterns that run parallel to the veins.”

Early symptoms of stripe rust can appear similar to WSMV, says Barkley. “However, within a few days, stripe rust infections will produce pustules with orange-colored spores while WSMV infections won’t produce these orange pustules. If you don’t see orange pustules occurring with the chlorotic stripes, then it’s not stripe rust.”

As stripe rust is caused by a fungus, disease pressure in a crop can be altered can be prevented with fungicide. “However, WSMV is caused by a virus and will not respond to fungicides. Application of fungicides should only be done to prevent fungal diseases. There are no in-crop pesticide treatments that have proven to be consistently effective for management of WSMV”.

More information about wheat streak mosaic virus and stripe rust.

June 27, 2016  By Top Crop Manager


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