Geary County Extension Agent Chuck Otte has confirmed that leaf rust is beginning to appear in the wheat crop in the county. “Now we’ve got leaf rust disease starting to show up in fields. “

Otte confirmed he detected the leaf rust in a couple of fields Tuesday morning. “It’s something we can spray for and keep it from getting worse but if you’re field’s not going to be making at least 40 bushels per acre it probably doesn’t justify spraying it. ”

Concerning the wheat crop Otte noted it has some challenges, and the county needs to keep getting regular rains. He said that will make leaf diseases worse, but improve the potential for yield.

Otte said the county has a lot of wheat that is average to below average. He estimated 40 percent to 50 percent of the crop is in fair condition. “It’s facing a lot of challenges right now. It’s very short. We’ve got wheat that is starting to head out in Geary County already. That’s early, that concerns me.”

The extension agent did say that the Geary County wheat crop is probably better than in much of the state.