The National Agricultural Technology Center forecasts that, in 2026, major wheat diseases and pests will generally occur at a severe level.

Affected by last year’s autumn flood, most wheat-growing regions experienced late sowing. Since the onset of spring, temperatures across various areas have fluctuated significantly, resulting in complex seedling conditions that favor the occurrence of sharp eyespot, stripe rust, and stem base rot. According to forecasts from the National Agricultural Technology Extension Center, major wheat diseases and pests are expected to occur at a relatively severe level nationwide in 2026. Fusarium head blight poses a high risk of widespread outbreaks in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the southern Huang-Huai wheat region; stripe rust is likely to occur at moderate levels in localized areas of the Southwest and the Han River basin; stem base rot may be moderately to severely prevalent in parts of northern Huang-Huai and southern North China; and aphids could see moderately to heavily infested conditions in certain local wheat areas of the Huang-Huai–Hai region. To effectively control disease and pest damage and support substantial increases in wheat yields per unit area, this plan has been specially formulated.

Prevention and control strategy

Adhering to the principles of tailoring measures to local conditions, implementing region-specific strategies, and providing category‑based guidance, we formulate targeted control plans based on crop conditions, pest and disease dynamics, weather patterns, and key areas. Emphasizing preventive control, green pest management, and integrated pest management, we simultaneously advance disease and pest prevention to boost yields, strengthen seedlings, and ensure quality, thereby keeping pest‑ and disease‑related yield losses below 5%.

Key targets for prevention and control

(1) North China wheat-growing region: The primary pests and diseases include stem base rot, sheath blight, powdery mildew, and aphids, with secondary attention paid to rust, Fusarium head blight, wheat spider mites, and grain-sucking insects.

(2) The Huanghuai Wheat Region: The primary pests and diseases include Fusarium head blight, stem base rot, stripe rust, sheath blight, aphids, and wheat spider mites, with secondary attention given to powdery mildew, leaf rust, and root rot. In the southern part of the Huanghuai region, preventive measures should be taken against yellow mosaic virus disease.

(3) The wheat-growing region of the middle and lower Yangtze River basin. The primary pests and diseases include Fusarium head blight, sheath blight, and aphids, with secondary attention paid to rusts, powdery mildew, and wheat spider mites.

(4) Northwest Wheat Region: Focus on stripe rust, stem base rot, Fusarium head blight, and aphids, while also addressing powdery mildew and wheat spider mites; in the Xinjiang wheat region, prioritize prevention and control of snow mold leaf blight during the spring season.

(5) Southwest Wheat Region: Primarily affected by stripe rust, Fusarium head blight, and aphids, with secondary concerns including powdery mildew and wheat spider mites.

Prevention and control measures

(1) Green-up to jointing stage. Focus on the prevention and control of stripe rust, sheath blight, and stem base rot, while also targeting aphids and wheat spider mites. For stripe rust, strengthen disease monitoring and implement zonal control measures. In source areas such as the Southwest, the Han River basin, Guanzhong in Shaanxi, and Longnan in Gansu, fully implement the “detect with fungicides, treat focal points to protect broader areas” strategy; promptly cordon off infected fields to slow the spread of pathogen sources into the Huanghuai wheat region. In the Huanghuai spring‑epidemic zone, intensify surveillance, early warning, and dynamic analysis of disease trends, adhering to the principle of “control an entire area upon detecting a single case,” and promptly contain outbreak centers. When the average incidence of diseased leaves reaches 0.5%–1%, launch emergency control measures, ensuring full coverage within similar regions; recommended fungicides include tebuconazole, prothioconazole‑tebuconazole, flutriafol, pyraclostrobin, triadimefon, and pyrimidine nucleoside antibiotics. For stem base diseases such as stem base rot and sheath blight, carry out foliar sprays during the green-up to jointing period. If the incidence of stem base rot exceeds 5% in a field, apply prothioconazole, prothioconazole‑tebuconazole, tebuconazole‑thiophanate‑methyl, or penconazole; if sheath blight affects 10% of plants, use thiophanate‑methyl, tebuconazole, propiconazole, epoxiconazole, or oxycarboxin‑tebuconazole—either chemical agents or biopesticides such as jinggangmycin and kasugamycin. When applying treatments for stem base diseases, increase spray volume and recommend mechanized equipment like self‑propelled boom sprayers, focusing on thorough coverage of the stem bases of wheat plants to ensure efficacy. For wheat spider mites, when the average density reaches 200 mites per 33 cm of row length or more than 6 mites per plant, apply abamectin, bifenthrin, or bifenthrin‑triazophos via spraying. Simultaneously, reduce pest populations through weed management—such as controlling multi‑flowered ryegrass—and proper fertilization and irrigation practices. For aphids, when the population reaches 200 per 100 plants, use single‑component or combined formulations of flonicamid, flupyradifurone, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, or lambda‑cyhalothrin for spray application.

(2) Heading and flowering stage. The primary focus should be on preventing Fusarium head blight, while also addressing rust, powdery mildew, aphids, and grain‑sucking insects. In regions where Fusarium head blight is a perennial problem—such as the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the southern Huanghuai area—the first chemical application should be timed to coincide with the critical period from full heading to the early stages of flowering. Biological control agents may be applied as early as the initial heading stage, with chemical fungicides used during flowering to provide supplementary protection as needed. Suitable chemical options include cyproconazole or prothioconazole and their combinations, fluxapyroxad, epoxiconazole, propiconazole–tebuconazole, pyraclostrobin, trifloxystrobin–tebuconazole, and clove–tebuconazole; these can be supplemented with biological products such as Jinggang·Bacillus subtilis, tetramycin, or Bacillus subtilis. If rain occurs within 4–6 hours after treatment, reapplication should be carried out promptly. In the event of prolonged rainy weather during heading and flowering, a second round of rotating applications should be conducted every 5–7 days to ensure effective disease control. Fungicides belonging to the oxime‑ester inhibitor class, such as pyraclostrobin and trifloxystrobin–tebuconazole, should be applied earlier—at the onset of flowering—to reduce the accumulation of deoxynivalenol mycotoxins. In areas where benzimidazole‑type fungicides have led to high levels of resistance, the use of carbendazim and thiophanate‑methyl should be discontinued, with rotation among different active ingredients encouraged. In areas where wheat rust and powdery mildew are common, integrated management targeting Fusarium head blight is recommended. When the incidence of powdery mildew reaches 10% of leaves in the field or that of rust attains 0.5%–1%, fungicides such as prothioconazole, epoxiconazole, tebuconazole, and flusilazole should be employed for control. In severely affected fields, a second round of rotating applications should be carried out every 7–10 days. For wheat grain‑sucking insects, particular attention should be paid to adult‑stage control during the heading period. When more than 20 adults are detected per 10 quadrats at the early heading stage, timely applications of abamectin–imidacloprid, lambda‑cyhalothrin, or chlorpyrifos–imidacloprid are advised. In areas with recurrent outbreaks, alternate applications should be made every 3 days, followed by an additional treatment to ensure sustained efficacy.

When the population of green peach aphids in the field exceeds 500 individuals per hundred plants, apply single‑component or formulated insecticides such as flonicamid, dinotefuran, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, and lambda‑cyhalothrin by spraying. In areas where conditions permit, it is recommended to release natural enemies like Aphidius colemani for biological control.

(3) Grain-filling stage: Focus on controlling spike aphids, powdery mildew, and rust, while also addressing late-season hot, dry winds and premature senescence. For powdery mildew and rust, apply fungicides such as tebuconazole, propiconazole‑tebuconazole, and epoxiconazole; for aphids, use insecticides including flonicamid, lambda‑cyhalothrin, and thiamethoxam. To mitigate premature senescence and hot, dry wind conditions, foliar applications of plant growth regulators like brassinolide or ferrous chlorophyllin, or foliar fertilizers such as potassium dihydrogen phosphate, may be employed; these can be integrated into the “one spray, three protections” management strategy for wheat.

Key technology

(1) Promoting the transition of weak wheat seedlings to robust growth. At present, seedling conditions in China’s major wheat-producing regions are highly variable, necessitating region‑specific, category‑based management strategies. For fields where sowing was delayed, soil moisture is excessively high, and seedling vigor is poor, it is advisable to integrate control measures during the green-up and jointing stages by applying plant growth regulators and immune‑inducing agents—such as gibberellic acid–indole‑3‑acetic acid–brassica, amino oligosaccharides, ferrous chlorophyllin, brassinolide (sterol), or immune‑activating proteins—to promptly facilitate seedling recovery and enhance wheat’s stress tolerance. Simultaneously, strengthen field surveys for diseases and pests; if multiple pathogens and pests occur concurrently, select appropriate targeted pesticides or broad‑spectrum formulations for integrated management.

(2) “One Spray, Three Controls” for wheat. As a key practice for disease and pest management and yield enhancement during the mid- to late‑growth stages of wheat, localities should, based on regional crop development, prevailing climatic conditions, and the patterns of disease and pest occurrence and damage, guide the selection of effective, site‑specific spray‑application inputs—such as fungicides (e.g., prothioconazole), insecticides (e.g., thiamethoxam), plant growth regulators (e.g., brassinolide), potassium dihydrogen phosphate, and appropriate tank‑mix adjuvants—and implement scientifically sound mixing and integrated application. Clear timing for each treatment stage is essential to improve the quality of “one spray, three controls” operations and enhance preventive and control efficacy, thereby achieving the objectives of disease and pest suppression, increased grain yield, and improved grain quality.

(3) Precision application of pesticides to enhance quality and efficiency. During critical periods of pest and disease occurrence, each wheat-growing region strengthens the exchange and sharing of monitoring information on major epidemic‑type pests and diseases; selects appropriate formulations based on the specific pest or disease present; and employs scientifically formulated mixtures of plant growth regulators, immune‑inducing agents, and other products to bolster stress resistance. The use of high‑efficiency application equipment—such as self‑propelled boom sprayers and unmanned aerial vehicles for crop protection—is promoted, with the addition of adjuvants that enhance droplet deposition and reduce evaporation. When deploying unmanned aerial vehicles for pest and disease control, the spray volume should be no less than 2 liters per mu.

Source: National Agricultural Technology Extension Network