MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas is hosting an unwanted traveler this year – wheat flag smut has made its way into the state’s wheat fields for the first time since the 1930s. The fungal disease poses no threat to humans or animals and has no effect on grain quality, but can reduce yields.
The finding is significant because some countries that buy U.S. wheat have import restrictions on grain produced in areas where flag smut is known to occur. Kansas is typically the No. 1 U.S. wheat-producing state and typically grows about 20 percent of the total U.S. crop. Annual average wheat production for the past five years has been about 328 million bushels, according to Kansas Wheat.
The fungus Urocystis tritici causes flag smut, which was initially found in a Rooks County field in May during routine crop monitoring by K-State Research and Extension and the Kansas Department of Agriculture.
Since then, it has been confirmed in 39 other Kansas locations, mostly in north central and south central parts of the state, according to the KDA. The percentage of infected tillers found in those fields, however, has been low.
