The Sidney herald., 1963-04-03
Crop Disease Losses

crop Disease LOSsSS
Crop diseases of one KIND
and another cost Montana
farmers more than $24 million
dollars in 1862, according to
estimates prepared by the Ag-
riculture Experiment Station
and Cooperative Extension Ser
vice of Montana State College.
Of the various crops IN
which diseases took a toll, WIN
ter wheat suffered the heaviest
losses-a yield loss Of some D
million bushels valued at ST.
O50,0O0 from stem rust alone.
Stem rust also caused a
spring wheat loss of $4,000 bu.
valued at $634,OOO and a barley
loss of $4,000 bushels valued
at $4,000.
Thus stem rust alone &C.
counted for crop losses estl-
mated at $10,124,000.
Stripe rust in winted wheat
reduced yields by slightly over
a million bushels with a none
tary loss of $4,000.
Barley stripe mosaic is es-
timated TO have cut yields by
some 2 million bushels valued
!, at $1,000, 900.
A yield loss of 900 900 bushels
valued at $1,630,000 was caus-
: ed by covered smut and dwarf
smut in winter wheat.
The losses from smut ir
f wheat and barley are estimated
t at $4,000 and $4,000 bushel:
respectively with a total none
tary loss of $1,074,000.
. Then there are the root anC
: foot rots Of wheat which art
estimated to have reduced
els valued at 81 $40 900. Celhal
osporim stripe, disease of whea
which was first reported IL
Montana in 1858 and has sine
been found in many areas o
central and western Montana
caused a loss of 249,000 bushel
or $453,500 in 1862.
In all, it is estimated tn
disease loss for grain amount
= to 14.959.OO0 bushels having
total value of $23, 949, 000.. AID
ding on another $518,5O0 re
/ sulting from disease losses /
| such crops as sugar beets, pc
] tatoes, cherries, apples & bean
4 and the total disease bill come
] to 24,467, 800 for the 1876
] season. In their summary c
4 disease losses for the past yea
4 the scientists at Montana Stat
4 College point out that most
4 the crop diseases in Montan
4 vary in severity from year I
. year, depending upon moistu1
4 and temperature during tn
4 growing season and other fat
q tors.
II For example, stem rust he
a caused economic losses to MOI
q tana wheat crops in only abol
3 six of the last so years. Y
"a 1862 was one of thse yea
a when conditions were favo
M able for the disease and a Sc
81 ious outbreak occurred. Ordil
"a arily when the spores Of Il
a red stage of this disease a
a blown into Montana by spril
81 and summer winds from Il
~ south, Montana wheat is
the soft dough stage or ev'
u more mature and escapes i
q lection by rust. This yea
81 however, late maturing fiel
AZ suffered considerable loss.
New crops also introdu
disease problems into the sta
Safflower, for example, W
hard hit by diseases in 19
for the first time since t
crop was introduced into Nc
tana. For a number of diSeas
81 not all of course, the grows
best protection is to prope.
A treat his seed before plant
r. and to use varieties that
resistant to certain diseases
Alfalfa Weevils
One of the common eau
for failure in spraying for CT
troll of alfalfa weevils is spr;
ing too late in the spring.
Entomologists at Monts
S& State College recommend ca
spraying before the alfalfa
one and one-half inches hig
BY spraying early, the w