Rust

I have been touching on Rust in the wheat crop quite a bit on my blog. I do want to confirm that the rust has arrived in the area. Kansas has been so thick the last week that the planes are delayed a week in some areas. The wind is forecasted to be blowing out of the south the next couple of days and with the moisture in place and warmer temperatures forecasted, the rust is inevitable. I would like to remind everyone that a fungicide program does a better job preventing rust. If the rust is present, damage has already begun. Timeliness of the application is very important. Earlier is better. Wheat prices have not moved upward as we would all like but a thick infestation of rust can cause a lot of damage to a crop. I would advise everyone to get with your agronomist, check out your crop and make a plan to avoid a crop disaster. The flag leaf will be emerging very soon and in some cases it already has. The flag leaf is the most important part of the plant to take care of.