Obtain information on disease susceptibility from seed dealers or the OSU Extension office in your county. Powdery mildew thrives where high rates of nitrogen have been used. Nitrogen not only promotes tiller formation, causing dense stands, but also increases the susceptibility of the crop. In fields with persistent disease problems, the wheat stubble and other residues should be tilled into the soil to permit disease causing fungi to die out before another wheat crop is planted. Incorporating wheat residues into the soil, destroying volunteer wheat and crop rotation will lessen the amount of overwintering inoculum in the field.
Fungicides are available that provide excellent control of powdery mildew.
Their application is based on scouting fields for symptoms and assessing disease severity from tiller elongation through flowering stages of growth. It is important to keep the top two leaves of the plant as disease free as possible so that the plant can use its full potential to fill the grain. Fungicides can be applied based on the level of disease in the field, the known susceptibility of the variety, and the selling price of the grain. All educational programs conducted by Ohio State University Extension are available to clientele on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, gender, age, disability or Vietnam-era veteran status. Keith L. Smith, Associate Vice President for Ag.