The disease is most easily recognized in immature heads where one or more spikelets or the entire head appears prematurely ripened or bleached. Where the rachis is infected, all portions of the head above that point will be affected. Where disease pressure is high, significant yield losses may result from the floret sterility and poor grain fill. Growers should consider increasing the air flow on their combines during harvest to eliminate as much of this light scab-infected grain as possible.
Scabby grain can present particular problems in marketing, storage and utilization.