Diseases and Pests Management (Wheat)

a. Diseases

1. Septoria leaf blotch is caused by a fungus called "Septoria tritici"; and charasterised by symptoms like long greyish necrotic blotches on the foliage. this disease first attacks the first leaves  and can damage the whole yield if it starts at early growth stage. This disease outbreaks in humid and warm weather.

Control measures:

• Use resistant and improved varieties
• Sow on time,
• Use coated seeds,
• Pile wheat straws in a distant compost ditch.

• Wheat rust:  it is caused by a fungus called "Puccinia sp.(Striifomis, graminis and recondida). It is characterised by dark yellow or black spores on the leaves. Severely affected leaves dry out .  The diseases appears during cold weather and affected wheat produces unfilled grains.

Control measures:

• Use resistant varieties and sow on time,
• Use seeds coated with Thiram;
• Rotate crops because the causing pathogen can remain in the field on the shoots or seedlings from affected and left over wheat grains;
• Pile wheat straws in a distant compost ditch.

b. Pests

1. Wheat leaf eating beetle (Coccinnelles) caused  by "Epilachna spp"

 It is an insect of the beetle family which looks like a coffee bean. It is red colour insect with black spots. When it still young, it feeds on the inner part of the leaf and when it is an adult  it eats the leave starting from the back.

Control measures

• Apply Dimethoate, Chloropyriphos – ethyl and Cypermethrine products.