Written collaboratively by Kay Ruden, Bob Fanning, former SDSU Extension Plant Pathology Field Specialist, Connie Strunk, and Emmanuel Byamukama, former SDSU Extension Plant Pathologist.
The new Fusarium (Scab) Head Blight Prediction Center website is now up and running.
The purpose of this Assessment Tool is to provide producers and crop consultants with a Fusarium Head Blight (FHB/scab) risk assessment tool which leads up to and includes flowering (anthesis). Flowering (anthesis) is an important time when FHB infection (through flowers) takes place and when fungicides that target FHB/DON must be applied in order to be effective. This updated site delivers daily estimates of scab risk for 30 states that are east of the Rockies.
This website will first show a regional view and the most recent date. The user can then select a state to zoom in to their location. A producer or crop consultant, etc. is also able to click on an individual weather station near their growing area and find the specific FHB prediction for that area
The Center also provides helpful information on how to use this tool as well as information on the disease prediction models that are being used, such as how a producer can customize the prediction by selecting a state and which type of wheat a producer would like to check on such as winter or spring wheat. A producer or crop consultant can also select different dates of assessment by going to the Calendar feature.
Commentaries by state specialists for each state about the status of the crop and local risk for FHB (Scab) will also be displayed along with the current risk map when a person selects a state.
A new feature this year is that the Fusarium Head Blight Prediction Center can also be accessed via a smart phone or any other mobile device.
