Drone Application Trial for Stripe Rust in Wheat

We’re staying on top of stripe rust in wheat this week with a unique trial in York County. Disease pressure has been building, and we had a good weather window to get in and make a targeted application.

What We’re Flying to Target Stripe Rust

This week, we flew an 80-acre trial with a drone to apply Sonata fungicide on a wheat field seeing some stripe rust pressure — especially on the dryland areas. We ran 1.25 qt/a of Sonata, which is a biological fungicide with a unique Mode of Action and no pre-harvest restrictions. It’s also one of the more affordable late-season options, making it a good fit for this timing.

What We’re Seeing in the Field

The field was sprayed about a month ago with Prosaro Pro targeting head scab. This second pass is all about cleaning up any lingering rust and protecting yield potential where disease pressure is creeping back in. The drone setup allows for a precise application without ground compaction or crop damage — and we’ve got some footage in this week’s video to show you how it looked in action.

What to Watch

The university has been keeping an eye on this trial with us, so we’re looking forward to learning what kind of difference we see at harvest. It’s the kind of project that helps all of us understand what works and when it’s worth making a move. We’ll keep you posted.

In Wrap...

We’ll know more at harvest, but we’re glad we had the tools and timing to make this application. Let us know if you’re seeing stripe rust and want to talk options.

📞 402-631-3080