Duration: 10/01/2027 to 09/30/2032

Administrative Advisor(s):

NIFA Reps:

Non-Technical Summary

Statement of Issues and Justification

Small grains, particularly wheat, barley, and oats are significant crops in many states east of the Rocky Mountains - hereafter referred to as eastern U.S. (source: USDA-NASS). Of these, wheat is the most economically important and multiple classes are grown in this region, including hard red winter (southern and central Great Plains), hard red spring and durum (northern Great Plains), soft red winter (central and southeastern U.S.), and soft white winter (northeast and north central U.S.). There has also been an increase in acreage of hard white wheat planted in the Great Plains with the release of improved varieties. Barley, oats, and to a lesser extent rye and triticale are also regionally important in the eastern U.S. and represent significant crops in certain states (e.g., barley in North Dakota, oats in South Dakota and Oklahoma).

The primary uses of these grains are human consumption (flour, bran, etc.), livestock feed, and malting and brewing (barley). These crops may also be used for hay, straw, and silage production or even directly grazed (e.g., dual-purpose, graze-grain wheat). Additionally, small grains are being investigated for potential use in biofuel production as both grain-starch and cellulosic sources because they can often be grown in areas where corn and soybeans cannot, for example, winter wheat in the western Great Plains. Lastly, small grains may be used as cover crops in some regions (e.g., Mid-Atlantic, Upper Great Plains) to reduce soil erosion and nutrient leaching into waterways. Consequently, seed production for wheat, barley, and rye cover crops continues to be an important aspect of small grain production in this region.

Production of small grains has declined substantially over the last 20 years in the U. S. for several reasons. First, the price paid for grain has changed little during that time and thus the value for several of these crops has declined when adjusted for inflation. To add to the financial issues, government subsidies for many of the small grains are less competitive than those for other crops like corn and soybean. Second, diseases continue to have a profound and negative effect on both grain yield and quality and shifts in agronomic practices have complicated disease management strategies further (see below), making it difficult to maintain profitability. Third, the massive expansion of genetically modified (GM) crops (i.e., corn and soybeans) has made small grains much less attractive to producers because of the relatively more complicated and expensive weed and pest management strategies sometimes required for small grains.  When all the above factors are considered, small grains are simply less competitive economically than corn and soybean for much of the eastern U.S. and thus their acreage has gradually declined. Several of these same factors may result in a future increase in the acreage planted with small grains. First, the increasing development of glyphosate resistance in some weeds will likely impact annual acreage of corn and soybeans in the future and complicate future weed management strategies in these crops. Second, the lack of crop diversity has resulted in very short rotations that allow pest and pathogen populations to remain high and regularly impact yield. Finally, the increasing costs of fertilizer, pesticides, fuel, and scarcity of irrigation water in some regions is making it difficult for producers to maintain profitability, especially for corn. Lastly, the rapid expansion of biofuel generation using corn and soybean is diverting the grain from these crops away from human and livestock consumption. Small grains may be used to fill the niche left from the biofuel-associated changes in crop utilization as well as for biofuel production directly. Overall, the addition of small grains to current rotations would add diversity to the dominant cropping systems and potentially reduce the impact and severity of the pathogens and pests of all crops in the long term.

The agronomic practices utilized for growing small grains have changed dramatically in the last three decades as many growers are changing over to reduced tillage practices, planting earlier, and using shorter rotations to reduce soil erosion. Many are also intensively managing their crops by applying higher amounts of fertilizer, growth regulators, and pesticides to maximize yields. All these factors have had profound effects on the incidence and severity of the diseases of small grains. The wheat residue-borne diseases, such as Fusarium head blight (FHB), tan spot, and Stagonospora diseases and barley residue-borne diseases including net blotch, spot blotch and FHB, occur annually in much of the eastern U.S. and have a significant impact on both crop yield and quality, and Wheat streak mosaic (WSM) complex continues to be problematic throughout the Great Plains. Epidemics of FHB and WSM have devastated the wheat and barley crops in entire regions (e.g., the northern Great Plains and Northeast), resulting in millions of bushels in lost production, numerous farm and equipment sales, and disruption of entire rural communities. By gaining a better understanding of the epidemiology of the diseases of small grains in both current and emerging production systems, we can develop economically sound management strategies for producers.

For producers of small grains to remain profitable while addressing the future needs of consumers, the impact of current and emerging diseases on crop yield and quality must be addressed. Unfortunately, this is difficult not only because of changes in agricultural practices but also because many of the pathogens attacking these crops are dynamic in both their geographic distribution and ability to overcome many common sources of genetic resistance in current cultivars. For example, stripe rust of wheat was more of a curiosity than a concern in the Great Plains prior to 2001. Since then, a new population of the stripe rust pathogen adapted to warmer climates has emerged. This new population of stripe rust was also able to overcome many common sources of genetic resistance and has emerged as one of the most important diseases in the US. Other rust diseases of small grains, specifically leaf rust of wheat and crown rust of oats, continue to cause significant losses, even after many years of breeding efforts to improve the resistance in commercial varieties. This is partly due to cereal rusts' ability to change races over time.

In contrast to the other rust diseases, stem rust (caused by Puccinia graminis) has received very little attention from plant pathologists and breeders because it has been effectively controlled through stable host resistance and the barberry eradication program (which targeted the alternate host). As a result, a minimal effort has been put into the introgression of novel resistance genes for stem rust into small grains, particularly wheat. Thus, a limited number of genes are deployed in the wheat varieties grown over large regions of the United States (e.g., the southern Great Plains) and throughout the world. A strain (Ug99) of P. graminis was identified in Africa that is virulent on most of the wheat and probably barley cultivars grown in the eastern U.S. As of September 2021, this strain has spread to 14 countries throughout Eastern and Southern Africa and the Middle East (RustTracker.org). A concern shared by both small grains researchers and stakeholders is that this strain will follow a similar migration pathway as that of Asian soybean rust or wheat stripe rust and enter the U.S. before wheat and barley breeders have had time to deploy effective resistance genes into commercially acceptable varieties. To complicate the issue further, the introduction of resistance to one disease rarely provides protection to other diseases and may even disrupt established resistance. For example, wheat breeders in much of the eastern U.S. have focused on developing resistance to FHB, an effort that has resulted in the release of several moderately resistant varieties in the past several years. Unfortunately, this work has caused erosion in the level of resistance to stem rust, putting wheat at an increased risk to this potentially devastating disease. In summary, the combination of a susceptible crop and little probability of the release of resistant varieties in the next decade places wheat production in much of the U.S. at risk to the potentially devastating impact of a major stem rust epidemic.

Wheat streak mosaic (WSM) complex and the associated viral pathogens have become increasingly problematic in the Great Plains in recent years. In the northern Great Plains, where spring wheat is grown alongside winter wheat, occurrences of WSM has led to devastating yield losses in both crops in a single growing season. A similar scenario in WSM is being observed in which genetic resistance sources exist within wheat lines and germplasm; however, these do not provide complete resistance from infection and disease, and subsequent losses still occur. With increasing production of small grains for forage, traditional management practices for small grains diseases are in need of updating.

Other diseases aside from rust pose a significant risk to wheat production in the U. S. and require better understanding of their epidemiology and management. Wheat blast, caused by the fungus Magnaporthe oryzae, was first identified in 1985 in Paraná State of Brazil. It recently spread to the important wheat-producing regions of South America. The disease was detected in Bangladesh in February 2016 suggesting that the disease is spreading at a global scale. Yield losses from this disease can be greater than 75% in severely affected fields, causing annual yield losses more than 7.5 million acres where it occurs. Neither the wheat blast pathogen nor the disease has been detected within the U.S., but the potential for this to occur is high. Increased importation of agricultural products from Brazil enhances the chance for the accidental introduction of the wheat blast pathogen into the U.S. Consequently, continued research and communication among small grain scientists in this area is essential in ensuring rapid response to a potential outbreak and the development of tools to identify and manage this disease.

Increased emphasis on disease prevention and management will be needed to help small grain producers remain competitive across all markets, to assure an ample supply of high-quality grain for domestic consumption, and to minimize the impact of adverse environmental conditions on small grain production. Increasing profitability of farmers is in alignment with new and updated directives for research and development by the USDA. Given the decline in overall support for research and extension activities related to diseases of small grains, individual states have fewer resources for either research on the diseases of small grains or to provide pertinent information for all diseases attacking these crops through the state supported extension programs.

The exchange of information and coordination of research and extension activities among small grain pathologists and individuals in related research programs in the region east of the Rocky Mountains will facilitate better management of small grain diseases. In addition to increased communication and collaboration among small grains pathologists of the eastern U.S., it is anticipated that this group will interact closely with members of the WERA97 (Diseases of Cereals), the Eastern Wheat Workers, the Southern Small Grain Workers, the US Wheat and Barley Scab Initiative (USWBSI) and the National Predictive Modelling Tool Initiative (NPMTI) on common diseases of concern.

Objectives

Procedures and Activities

Expected Outcomes and Impacts

Projected Participation

View Participation Form/Appendix E: Participation

Educational Plan

Organization/Governance

Literature Cited

Attachments

Land Grant Participating States/Institutions

DE, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MN, ND, NE, NY, OH, OK, SD, TN, TX, WA, WI

Non Land Grant Participating States/Institutions