04/22/05 Stripe rust alert: Keys on Black Rock

Washington Ag April 22, 2005 Farmers who planted susceptible varieties of winter or spring wheat should be prepared to apply fungicides for stripe rust. That's the word from Xianming Chen, plant pathologist with the Agricultural Research Service in Pullman. He says stripe rust is developing rapidly in the Pacific Northwest due to good moisture the past three weeks and its expected to accelerate with warmer weather in the next several weeks. Stripe rust has shown up in nurseries in both western and eastern Oregon, western Washington, and at Pullman. Chen also found it in a commercial field of susceptible winter wheat near Walla Walla. He says the stripe rust races are the same or similar to those detected in the region last year so wheat varieties that were resistant or susceptible in 2004 will be resistant or susceptible this year. Chen says early development of stripe rust this year could mean the need for two fungicide applications on susceptible varieties of winter and spring wheats. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner John Keys said in a radio interview this week that the four-billion dollar Black Rock Reservoir project is unrealistic. Congressman Doc Hastings thinks it's a little premature to be making that kind of statement. Hastings: "Let's get the feasibility study done first and figure out where we go from there." Reclamation is looking at other options besides Black Rock to increase water supplies and has said it will decide by this fall whether to continue studying Black Rock, which would divert Columbia River water for the Yakima Basin. . I'm Bob Hoff.