The sixth weekly Prairie Crop Disease Monitoring Network (PCDMN) Prairie wind trajectory cereal rust risk report for 2025 is available for download now at the following link: June 10-16, 2025.
General weather and crop conditions
- Prairie winter wheat crops are generally moving into heading and post-heading growth stages, while much of the spring wheat crop is ranging from the seedling to tillering, with some early planted crops moving into stem elongation.
- Temperatures have been somewhat higher than normal for most of the Prairie region since April 1, 2025, and from June 9 to 15, 2025 temperatures have ranged from around 10 to 20°C. These temperatures are generally not conducive to rust development, although cooler temperatures are more conducive for stripe rust versus leaf and stem rust.
- Growing season rainfall for the Prairie region has been generally drier than normal. Recent rainfall in some areas the Prairies could potentially have washed rust spores from the air and into wheat crops, especially winter wheat, while also resulting in canopy moisture conditions that may favour infection and further rust development.
Pacific Northwest
- There were low-moderate numbers of reverse wind trajectories that passed over the PNW region and into the prairies from June 10-16, 2025. Although, stripe rust development continues, it is generally lower versus 2024. Overall, as of June 19, 2025 the risk of stripe rust appearance from the PNW is generally limited and scouting for this disease in the Prairie region is generally not urgent. However, Prairie locations with three or more trajectories may be as somewhat higher risk
Texas/Oklahoma
- There was a low number of wind trajectories that passed over the TX/OK region and into the prairies from June 10-16, 2025, while development of stripe and leaf rust of wheat is generally limited. Moreover, most of the crop is mainly matured, with harvest progressing.
- Overall, as of June 19, 2025 the risk of stem, leaf, stripe, and crown rust appearance from the Texas-Oklahoma corridor is limited and scouting for these diseases in the Prairie region is not urgent.
Kansas/Nebraska
- There was a low number of wind trajectory events from the KS/NE region from June 10-16, 2025. Overall, as of June 19, 2025 the risk of stem, leaf, stripe, and crown rust appearance from the Kansas-Nebraska corridor is generally limited and scouting for these diseases in the Prairies is not urgent.
- However, continuing rust (mainly stripe rust) observations and further development, especially in Nebraska, may increase the risk, while the detection of stripe rust in research plots in Wisconsin brings the stripe rust issue closer to the Prairie region.
