Small grains are typically seeded into cold moist soils that inhibit growth of seedlings and favor growth of disease organisms resulting in seedling diseases. Prolonged exposure to dry soils, which hinder germination, may also result in fungal decay. Shriveled, low test weight, diseased or weathered seed is more prone to attack by pathogens due to poor germination and reduced seedling vigor. Disease free seed and seed treatments can reduce the damage caused by decay, rot, and blight. Different seed treatments may be used depending on the purpose.
Some treatments are a combination of fungicide and insecticide.
Choose the treatment appropriate for the situation. Scab development is favored by warm, humid, rainy weather during the period from flowering to maturity. Wheat and barley are affected by the scab in several ways. Floret sterility and kernel shriveling may lower yields and test weights, but more often the major concern is quality. Infected kernels can have the same size and shape as healthy kernels, making them difficult to remove with cleaning equipment.