SARGODHA: Farmers have been advised to regularly inspect their wheat crops and apply suitable anti-fungus pesticides in case of crop attack by Rust disease. In a press statement issued here on Sunday, Director Agriculture Sargodha Muhammad Shahid said that there was likelihood of Rust disease attack on wheat due to expected rise in temperature. He added the disease had been witnessed in some parts of the division and advised farmers to apply spray of Tebuconazol, Propiconazole, Triadimefone,
or Trifloxystrobin+tebuconazol only on the disease-hit parts of plants. Muhammad Shahid said that there were three types of disease including yellow Rust which could attack when temperature ranged from 10 to 20 Celsius, brown Rust (20-25 C), and Black Rust (20-35 C). Brown Rust usually attacks plant leaves and can reduce per-acre yield. In case of an attack on an early sown crop, the disease weakens plants and disturbs food formation process. It can compromise wheat production by 10-30 percent.
Yellow or mustard Rust also attacks plants’ leaves and appears as mustard dots on leaf. In case of an intense attack, its damage impact could be more than what Brown Rust can cause. Black Rust emerges on leaf, branches, and trunks in shape of black or brown blots which later rupture and ooze out black powder, Muhammad Shahid added.