Heat Canker in Wheat, Barley, and Oats

Jun 05, 2019

The last couple of days the weather has given us some dry sunny weather with high winds. This has been great to have fields finally dry off and make strides with planting any remaining acres. Unfortunately, this also exposed young small grain seedlings to the same conditions. The daytime heat at the soil surface has caused heat canker. The tender young tissue at the soil surface basically has been ‘cooked’ and this appears as a yellow band that is slightly constricted (Photo 1). As the leaf continues to grow, this yellow band (1/8 - 1/4") moves upward and away from the soil surface. If the hot and dry weather lasts for several days, repeated bands can become visible. Because of the high winds, the tips of leaves may break off at the yellow band and give a field a very ragged appearance. Damage from heat canker is temporary and should not affect further growth and development.

Photo 1 – Barley seedlings with the yellow, constricted appearance

symptomatic for heat canker

Source:umn.edu

Video: Not only is corn getting sweatier, it's getting smarter

Over the past several weeks, much of the U.S. Midwest has experienced prolonged episodes of extreme heat, a trend also observed in other major corn-producing regions of North America such as eastern South Dakota, southern Ontario, and parts of Kansas and Missouri. These high-temperature events can place significant physiological stress on maize (Zea mays L.), which is cultivated on approximately 90 million acres across the United States, with leading production in Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska, and Minnesota. Like all maize, Bayer’s PRECEON™ Smart Corn System is subject to transpiration-driven water loss under high heat. However, this system incorporates agronomic traits designed to improve standability through enhanced stalk strength, thereby reducing lodging risk during stress conditions. Furthermore, the system supports precision agriculture practices by enabling more targeted fertilizer and crop protection applications. This approach not only helps to optimize input efficiency but also contributes to maintaining or increasing yield potential under variable environmental stresses such as heat waves, which are becoming more frequent in corn belt and fringe production regions.