The appearance of stripe rust adds insult to injury to this year’s wheat crop, but Kansas growers should scout fields and have their management strategy ready for this yield- and quality-limiting disease. Stripe rust has now been detected in 35 Kansas counties, according to Wheat Ag Pest Monitor.

While most of these observations have been at low or trace levels, the K-State Agronomy eUpdate issued on May 2, 2024, noted, “Up until this point, the disease has largely been limited by lack of moisture.” Scattered showers across the state over the weekend and into the start of the week have reduced that limiting factor.