Every tiller matters.
Why? Because every tiller holds grain potential. But when Fusarium head scab hits during flowering, not all tillers may get the protection they need—especially the late bloomers.
What is Fusarium head scab?
Fusarium head scab or head blight is one of the biggest yield-robbing wheat diseases, with potential yield losses of up to 80%. In addition to limiting yield, head scab can create mycotoxins, which can further hurt your bottom line at the grain elevator.
Symptoms of Fusarium head scab
- Premature bleaching of spikelets
- Shriveled or lightweight kernels (sometimes called "tombstones")
- Pink or salmon-colored mold at the base of wheat heads
- Reduced grain quality due to mycotoxin (DON) contamination
If conditions are right for disease development or your fields have a history of head scab, consider applying a preventive fungicide to protect your wheat. Fusarium head scab can infect wheat from flowering (Feekes 10.5.1) through early dough stage (Feekes 11.2). To be the most effective, head scab fungicide applications should be made between full-head emergence and full flowering, but since tillers don’t all flower at once, it’s hard to get the timing right to protect your full crop. Miss the narrow fungicide application window, and you risk more infected heads and more lost bushels.
Why is timing so important?
Weather swings, non-uniform crop development, variable infection timing and booked applicators can make spraying at the right time exceptionally challenging. Plus, trying to protect maximum yield potential and grain quality usually means choosing to protect the main heads that have flowered, leaving secondary tillers at risk. However, those secondary tillers can play a primary role in increasing your potential yield and ROI. It’s easy to end up applying too early or too late, which means late-blooming tillers go unprotected and yield potential is compromised.
The more you protect, the more you gain at harvest.
Ace your field, ace your yield
Choosing a fungicide like Miravis® Ace can make a real difference in your field and on your yield monitor. It delivers best-in-class head scab control and plant-health benefits for improved grain quality and increased yield and profit potential. Powered by the most potent SDHI available, ADEPIDYN® technology, Miravis Ace gives you longer-lasting, more effective disease control so that no tillers are left behind – even the ones that haven’t flowered yet.
Data from 10 replicated trials from 2020 – 2022; KY (5), MI (1), OH (1), WI (3).
Miravis Ace and Prosaro PRO 400 SC applied at 10.3 floz/A and Sphaerex at 7.3 floz/A applied at Feekes 10.5.1 – 10.5.3.
*Revenue based off wheat price of $6/bu.
Ready to ace your field? To learn more about how you can preserve more tillers, protect grain quality and give yourself the best shot at a clean, profitable harvest, visit https://www.syngenta-us.com/fungicides/miravis-ace.
All photos and videos are either the property of Syngenta or are used with permission.
Product performance assumes disease presence. Performance assessments are based upon results or analysis of public information, field observations and/or Syngenta evaluations. Trials reflect treatment rates and mixing partners commonly recommended in the marketplace.
©2025 Syngenta. Important: Always read and follow label instructions. Some products may not be registered for sale or use in all states or counties. Please check with your local extension service to ensure registration status. ADEPIDYN®, Miravis® and the Syngenta logo are trademarks of a Syngenta Group Company. Prosaro® is a registered trademark of Bayer. Sphaerex® is a registered trademark of BASF. All other trademarks are the property of their respective third-party owners.
