Control Barley yellow dwarf cannot be adequately controlled in the field at present. Some damage to oats, wheat and barley occur each year. The following practices should greatly reduce the incidence and damage to these cereal crops. Plant winter wheat after the Hessian fly-free date and barley as late as practical to avoid early fall infections. Fresh green leaves of early autumn plantings attract aphids and may lead to severe infestations.
Later planting helps winter cereals escape population buildup of aphids in the fall.
Plant spring oats as early as possible. Vigorously growing plants are more tolerant of BYD than are weaker ones. Large populations of aphids usually do not appear in Ohio until later in the spring. Proper fertilization is necessary for good crop growth. Plants with nutritional stress are more susceptible and yield less if BYD is a problem.