Submitted by: Tosh Mazzone, Franklin County Agronomy Educator, Penn State Extension, and Ashley Isaacson, Perry County Agronomy Educator, Penn State Extension
In the second week of June, agronomists, grain brokers, and wheat producers from Meyers Grain and Penn State Extension collaborated on the 2026 Franklin County Wheat Tour, an effort to estimate wheat yield potential and grain quality. The team scouted wheat fields across Franklin County for disease, insects, weeds, and abiotic (nonliving) stressors, such as drought or frost injury, that could be affecting this year’s wheat harvest.
Fields surveyed in this year’s tour were at the milk stage, transitioning to soft dough, and varied in height from 27 to 34 inches. In about half of the fields surveyed, the stem-strengthening product Palisade was applied. Wheat planting varied from 7.5 inches to 15 inches spacing, with 1.1 to 1.8 million seeds planted per acre. Most producers split-applied fertility, with nitrogen applications between 120 and 150 units per acre and used at least one fungicide at a late timing to manage plant disease.
Lodged grain was noted in one field, attributed to high winds and recent thunderstorms, as well as drought-killed patches in the shallowest soils. Lodging was not a serious issue across the fields surveyed. Wheat plant heights were generally shorter than in previous years, likely due to dry conditions this Spring.
The 2026 average yield across these Franklin County fields was 77 bushels per acre (bu/ac), with a range from 50-116 bu/acre. This is lower than the five-year average estimate of 97 bu/ac from 2019-2024. We noted lower grain heads per foot than the average last year. This could be attributed to the moderate drought conditions the county has been facing. Franklin County has been classified as experiencing a low-to-moderate drought for the entire year so far.
Crop diseases can develop quickly and in unexpected ways, depending on the crop’s health, the amount of disease present in the environment, and the weather during the flowering, grain fill, and ripening stages. A big question this year was whether the tour would detect Fusarium head blight, also known as head scab, caused by the fungus Fusarium graminearum. This year’s tour detected low incidence and severity of Fusarium head blight in several, but not all, fields. The fungal pathogens powdery mildew and leaf rust as well as cereal leaf beetle larvae feeding were noted on wheat foliage. In general, disease pressure appeared low during the tour, and the drier early summer offers hope for reduced disease development between now and grain harvest.
Other wheat fields surveyed later and not included in the tour are beginning to show signs and symptoms of Fusarium head blight, which could suggest the disease is progressing, given recent precipitation and periods of high humidity. This could reduce grain quality and marketability due to harmful mycotoxins produced by Fusarium head blight, particularly if the wheat variety is susceptible. Producers should continue to scout for late-season leaf and grain head disease to prepare for potential quality impacts during harvest. Producers can use the Fusarium Risk Tool at https://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/ to match how disease risk forecast aligns with sensitive wheat growth stages.
For help assessing wheat disease, yield estimates, using the Fusarium Risk Tool, or other questions, please contact Tosh Mazzone, Franklin County Agronomy Educator, at 717-809-2192 or Tosh@psu.edu.
