Wheat season is a few months away, but after a pathogen-friendly winter, growers may want to keep an eye out for fungal diseases in the coming season. Warmer temperatures and consistent rainfall last winter created an ideal environment for diseases of winter grasses in the southern Sacramento Valley. High disease rates last year meant some depressed yields in susceptible fields and, if conditions are right, could potentially lead to greater outbreaks next year due to higher inoculum loads.

Septoria leaf blotch (also known as septoria tritici blotch, STB) is caused by the fungal...