Guidelines for the prevention and control of major diseases and pests, including wheat scab, have been released.

Adhering to the plant protection policy of “prevention first, integrated control,” implementing the working mechanism of “government leadership and local responsibility,” strengthening monitoring and early warning, promoting the rational use of pesticides, and advancing unified pest management, we have effectively enhanced the organizational and scientific sophistication of Fusarium head blight (scab) control in wheat, reduced the risk of mycotoxin contamination, and minimized yield losses caused by this disease. The coverage rate of unified pest management through various approaches has reached over 60%.

Centering on the prevention and control of Fusarium head blight, a comprehensive approach is adopted, incorporating seed treatment with fungicides, the use of disease-resistant cultivars, sound cultural practices, and timely application of highly effective fungicides during critical growth stages, thereby effectively enhancing overall disease‑and‑pest‑management efficacy and mitigating the severity of damage.

(1) Promote disease‑resistant and tolerant varieties. Based on local conditions, plant high‑quality cultivars with strong resistance or tolerance to Fusarium head blight. In the Huainan wheat region, prioritize varieties such as Ningmai 13, Ningmai 26, Yangmai 23, Yangfumai No. 4, Shengxuan No. 6, Huamai No. 5, Huamai No. 6, Zhenmai 168, Zhenmai 10, Zhenmai 12, Nongmai 88, and Sumai 188—all exhibiting relatively good disease tolerance—and conduct demonstration planting of Yangmai 33. In the areas along and north of the Huai River, cultivate varieties with good disease tolerance, including Huaimai 43, Huaimai 44, Xunong 029, Ruihuamai 516, Ruihuamai 523, and Xinong 979. Reduce the acreage planted with susceptible varieties and control the proportion of highly susceptible types; adhere to zone‑appropriate variety deployment, and strictly prohibit inter‑regional introduction or indiscriminate adoption of northern, disease‑susceptible varieties. Strengthen management of the “multiple, disorganized, and mixed” variety landscape, emphasizing relative uniformity within each region: each county should designate 2–3 principal cultivars and supplement them with a few secondary ones, thereby facilitating field management and pest‑control guidance.

(2) Implement seed treatment. In the Huainan rice‑wheat rotation area, focus on controlling smut, stem base rot, and sheath blight by treating seeds with suspension‑type seed coatings containing tebuconazole, difenoconazole, benomyl–fludioxonil, azoxystrobin–trifloxystrobin, and fludioxonil–pyraclostrobin. Conduct trials and demonstrations using cyproconazole, prothioconazole, and triflumizole to manage stem base rot while simultaneously suppressing early‑season infection by Fusarium head blight pathogens. In the Huaibei dry‑land wheat area, prioritize control of underground pests, aphids, root rot, and sheath blight by applying suspension‑type seed coatings containing thiamethoxam, imidacloprid, phoxim, fludioxonil, and tebuconazole. In regions where multiple diseases and pests co‑occur, consider using suspension‑type seed coatings such as tebuconazole–imidacloprid, difenoconazole–fludioxonil–thiamethoxam, enestroburon–benomyl–thiamethoxam, and imidacloprid–fludioxonil–benzovindiflupyr. Strive to achieve a 90% coverage rate of seed treatment in areas heavily threatened by smut, stem base rot, and root rot, as well as in regions where sheath blight and underground pests are prone to recurrence; ensure full coverage of seed treatment in seed‑production and multiplication fields.

(3) Enhance field management. Strengthen tillage and land‑preparation practices, improve the quality of straw incorporation and seedbed preparation, and encourage an additional rotary tillage pass prior to sowing to eliminate stubble and return residues to the soil. Depending on local conditions, employ methods such as moldboard plowing or rotary tillage to break up stubble, incorporate straw, and prepare the seedbed, thereby reducing the initial population of pests and pathogens. Adhere to timely sowing, appropriate seeding rates, and controlled sowing depths to prevent “deep sowing, exposed seeds, and clumped seeds,” ensuring uniform emergence and vigorous seedling establishment. Promote moderate post‑sowing rolling to close soil cracks, increase seed–soil contact, promote uniform and complete emergence, conserve soil moisture, and protect against frost damage, while enhancing plant stress tolerance and disease resistance and reducing the risks of herbicide injury and frost damage.

(4) Adhere to scientific pesticide application. Uphold a prevention‑oriented, proactive control strategy, mounting a comprehensive campaign focused on Fusarium head blight while also addressing powdery mildew, rusts, and aphids during the heading stage. For Fusarium head blight, implement “timely control, spray at flowering” measures: seize the critical window of wheat heading and anthesis, and promptly apply high‑efficacy formulations combining cyproconazole, prothioconazole, fluxapyroxad, and tebuconazole to mitigate disease incidence and reduce the risk of mycotoxin contamination. In fields and among varieties with a high risk of Fusarium head blight epidemics, carry out a second spray to ensure effective pest management; rotate fungicides with different modes of action, and discontinue use of carbendazim alone or in combination in areas where resistance has developed, thereby maintaining control efficacy. For sheath blight, adhere to threshold‑based management: for fields where the incidence of infected plants reaches 10%, promptly apply agents such as jinggangmycin, thifluzamide, or tebuconazole. For powdery mildew and rusts, when the proportion of infected leaves reaches 5–10% for powdery mildew or 0.5–1% for rust, timely foliar sprays of fungicides—including flusilazole, prothioconazole, cyproconazole, azoxystrobin, and pyraclostrobin—should be applied. For aphids, when the population exceeds 800 per 100 plants, employ insecticides such as acetamiprid, imidacloprid, or pirimicarb for spray control. Vigorously promote the use of high‑efficiency application equipment—such as self‑propelled boom sprayers, agricultural drones, and electrostatic sprayers—ensuring adequate doses of both active ingredient and water to guarantee effective control. After harvest, promptly harvest, winnow, dry, and kiln‑dry the grain to prevent excessive moisture content during post‑harvest handling and storage, which could re‑activate Fusarium head blight and lead to mycotoxin contamination.