Infection may take place in the fall or the spring. Random samples taken along a transect give a more accurate percentage. Losses also depend strongly on time of infection. If plants are infected after heading, losses are minimal. The primary control is to avoid early planting.
Early planting allows maximum time for aphids to infect the plants in the fall.
Plant after the Hessian fly-free date to minimize the risk of BYD infection. The Hessian fly-free date works well against BYD unless there is a very mild late fall which allows aphids to survive longer than usual. No varieties have high resistance to BYD, but some are more tolerant than others. BYD is difficult to rate, so variety ratings may be less reliable than with other diseases. Unfortunately, chemical control has not proved practical.