South Dakota State University Extension specialists say that stripe rust, wheat streak mosaic, barley yellow dwarf and tan spot have shown up in several fields in six counties. SDSU Extension Plant Pathology Field Specialist, Connie Strunk, says stripe rust is a difficult disease for growers to deal with.

Strunk says some of the viruses, including wheat streak mosaic, are also tough to handle, because once they’ve appeared there’s no real solid treatment for them. She says preventative efforts need to be done during planting.

All four diseases have shown up in Hughes, Stanley, Pennington, Tripp, Gregory and Douglas counties.