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 wheat 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 are expected to be moderately to severely abundant in certain wheat-growing areas of the Huang-Huai–Hai region. To effectively control disease and pest damage and support substantial yield increases across large wheat acreages, 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, precautions should be taken to prevent 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 given 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 fungicide, 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 monitoring and early warning, and conduct dynamic analysis of disease trends; adhere to the principle of “control an entire area upon detecting a single case,” promptly containing disease foci. 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 fenpropimorph; for sheath blight, when the incidence reaches 10% in a field, use chemical agents such as thiophanate‑methyl, tebuconazole, propiconazole, epoxiconazole, or oxycarboxin‑tebuconazole, or biological products like jinggangmycin and kasugamycin. When applying treatments for stem base diseases, increase spray volume and recommend mechanized equipment such as self‑propelled boom sprayers, focusing on thorough coverage of the stem bases of wheat plants to ensure effective control. 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 annual ryegrass—and proper fertilization and irrigation practices. For aphids, when the population reaches 200 per 100 plants, use single‑component or combination formulations—including flonicamid, flupyradifurone, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, and lambda‑cyhalothrin—for foliar 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 southern Huanghuai—chemical treatments should be applied during the critical period from full heading to the early stages of flowering. Biological agents may be used as early as the initial heading stage, with chemical fungicides applied during flowering as needed for supplementary control. Suitable chemical options include cyproconazole or prothioconazole and their combinations, fluopyram, epoxiconazole, propiconazole–tebuconazole, pyraclostrobin, oxycarboxin–tebuconazole, and clove–tebuconazole; these can be supplemented with biological products such as Jinggang·Kuya fungus, tetramycin, or Bacillus subtilis. If rain occurs 4–6 hours after application, re‑treatment should be carried out promptly. In cases of prolonged rainy weather during heading and flowering, alternate applications should be repeated every 5–7 days to ensure effective control. For pan‑oxidase inhibitor fungicides like pyraclostrobin and oxycarboxin–tebuconazole, early application at the onset of flowering is recommended to reduce the accumulation of deoxynivalenol. In areas where benzimidazole‑type fungicides have developed high resistance, the use of carbendazim and thiophanate‑methyl should be discontinued, with rotation among different active ingredients encouraged. In regions where wheat rust and powdery mildew are common, integrated management alongside Fusarium head blight is advisable. When the incidence of powdery mildew reaches 10% of leaves in the field or that of rust attains 0.5%–1%, apply fungicides such as prothioconazole, epoxiconazole, tebuconazole, or flusilazole. In severely affected fields, repeat treatment every 7–10 days, alternating among different formulations to maintain efficacy. For wheat grain‑sucking insects, priority should be given to controlling adult populations during the heading stage. At the early heading stage, when more than 20 adults are detected per 10 quadrat nets, promptly apply insecticides such as abamectin–imidacloprid, lambda‑cyhalothrin, or chlorpyrifos–imidacloprid. In areas with recurrent outbreaks, alternate applications every 3 days and conduct an additional treatment to ensure robust control.

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 and ferrous chlorophyllin, or foliar fertilizers such as potassium dihydrogen phosphate, may be employed; these can be integrated with the “one spray, three protections” approach for wheat to achieve comprehensive disease and pest management.

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 gibberellin–indole‑3‑acetic acid–brassica, amino oligosaccharides, dihydrochlorophyll iron, brassinolide (sterol), or immune‑activating proteins—to promptly facilitate the shift toward stronger seedlings and enhance wheat’s stress tolerance. At the same time, intensify field surveys for diseases and pests; if multiple pathogens and pests occur concurrently, select appropriate targeted pesticides or broad‑spectrum formulations to address them simultaneously.

(2) “One Spray, Three Controls” for wheat. As a key measure to prevent diseases and pests and boost yields during the mid- to late‑growth stages of wheat, localities should, based on regional crop development, 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, insecticides, plant growth regulators, foliar fertilizers, and tank‑mix adjuvants—including prothioconazole, thiamethoxam, brassinolide (a sterol), and potassium dihydrogen phosphate. These products should be scientifically combined and applied in integrated treatments, with clearly defined timing for each application, to enhance the quality of “one spray, three controls” operations and improve control efficacy, thereby achieving the goals of disease and pest prevention, yield increase, and quality enhancement.

(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 regionally prevalent pests and diseases. Targeted formulations are selected based on the specific pest or disease types, and plant growth regulators and immune‑inducing agents are scientifically mixed to bolster stress resistance. High‑efficiency application equipment, such as self‑propelled boom sprayers and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), is promoted, with the addition of adjuvants that improve droplet deposition and reduce evaporation. When using UAVs for pest and disease control, the spray volume should be no less than 2 liters per mu.

Source: National Agricultural Technology Extension Network