The North Dakota State University Extension Service has a new publication to help small-grain producers fight fusarium head blight.

The publication, "Ground Application of Fungicide for the Suppression of Fusarium Head Blight," describes the latest research and includes recommendations on the most effective application techniques.

It also has a section on adapting spray nozzles to provide the proper fungicide spray pattern.

Fusarium head blight, also known as scab, is a disease that can occur on all small-grain crops, but is most common in North Dakota on spring wheat, durum and barley. It develops when wet weather occurs during the crops' heading and flowering stages.

U.S. wheat and barley producers have lost more than $3 billion to scab outbreaks since 1990, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates.

The traditional methods of applying fungicides for leaf disease control don't work on scab, according to Vern Hofman, a retired NDSU Extension agricultural engineer and one of the publication's authors. He says the most effective control is to apply fungicide to the grain head.

The publication's other authors are Marcia McMullen, NDSU Extension plant pathologist; Scott Halley, crop protection scientist at NDSU's Langdon Research Extension Center; Gary Van Ee, agricultural engineer at Michigan State University, East Lansing; Marty Draper, Extension plant pathologist at South Dakota State University, Brookings; and Charla Hollingsworth, Extension plant pathologist at the University of Minnesota, Crookston.

Publication AE-1314 is available free of charge on the Web at www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ageng/machine/ae1314w.htm and from county Extension offices. It also can be ordered through the NDSU Agriculture Communication Distribution Center at (701) 231-7882 or dctr@ndsuext.nodak.edu.  One publication will be free of charge. Orders of several copies will cost 25 cents per copy plus postage.