Last year, flag smut was found in the wheat fields of Kansas for the first time in 80 years. It was only found in low levels in Barton County, but it is a good idea to keep a lookout. While flag smut does not have an effect on the quality of the grain itself, it is an export issue with several countries so it can affect the economy. This week, I have found a short Q and A that goes over the importance of flag smut and how to control it in the coming years. If you do suspect that you have flag smut, or if you would like more information about the fungus, call your local extension office.  
So what exactly is flag smut of wheat? Flag smut is a fungus which is in the same broad grouping as mushrooms, and rust and bunt diseases of plants. Other smut diseases found in Kansas include common corn smut, head and covered smut of sorghum and loose smut of wheat. The flag smut spores can be seed-borne, blown by the wind for short distances or moved with machinery. These fungal spores, produced near flowering of the wheat plant, have the possibility of surviving up to 4 years in the soil. So the cycle begins when the young wheat seedlings are infected with the fungus in the fall of the year after germination occurs and the seedling is exposed in the soil. No symptoms can be seen by the naked eye in this early stage. In general, the risk of infection is greatest when winter wheat is planted into warm, moist soils. As the plant breaks dormancy in the spring, so does the fungus inside the plant. Symptoms generally don’t show up until after heading and the flowering stages of the wheat with symptoms such as twisted tillers and leaves with gray or black streaking running parallel with the veins. Flag smut tends to stunt growth and reduce tillering, but generally has low impact on yield when compared with other wheat diseases, but it can reduce yields as much as 50% with favorable conditions.   
So what are some management guidelines for flag smut? Research has shown that the use of fungicide seed treatment, which is very economical, is highly effective in preventing the presence of flag smut and is a very important tool in the successful management of the disease. There are many seed treatment fungicides labeled for control of flag smut and many of the widely marketed fungicides should provide excellent control of the disease. Crop rotation with non-host crops such as soybeans, sorghum and corn also may reduce the risk of severe disease. It also may be possible to reduce the risk of severe disease by avoiding early planting conditions that place seed into warm, moist soils, which are known to favor infection by the flag smut fungus.  
So why is wheat flag smut important? Well, the disease caused by this fungus is found in nearly every country around the world. So several countries regulate the disease since flag smut spores are on the grain or the seed. Kansas wheat is exported across the world and is financially linked to almost all aspects of the Kansas economy. Therefore, flag smut is of importance and the disease is taken very seriously since exports of seed, grain and even hay can be affected.
There is no human or animal health concern or direct effect on grain quality related to flag smut of wheat.
Alicia Boor is the Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for Barton County K-state Research and Extension. One can contact her by email at aboor@ksu.edu or calling 620-793-1910