Leaf Rust (fungus – Puccinia recondita) is one of the most damaging diseases for wheat grown in Texas. This disease appears as small, reddish-orange postules on either side of the leaf or the leaf sheath. Wheat infected with Leaf Rust can experience a reduction in number and size of kernels and a decrease in forage production.
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension continues to conduct variety trials and rust ratings to evaluate the Leaf Rust susceptibility of common wheat varieties grown in Texas. Trials in Castroville, College Station and McGregor during the 2025 growing season provided insight into the Leaf Rust susceptibility of over 60 wheat varieties. Top performers, with little to no rust in the Castroville trial were TAM 205, Amigos and WB4792. In addition to the variety trials, AgriLife Extension publishes data annually on varietal characteristics. This information can be found on the TAMU Small Grain Variety Trials website.
2025 Texas Leaf Rust Ratings
Ratings based on flag Leaf Rust coverage using a scale of 0-9 with 0 meaning no rust and 9 nearly fully covered. Varieties are listed in order of flag Leaf Rust coverage from the Castroville uniform variety trial.
This article was originally published in the May 2025 Producers News edition published in High Plains Journal. To see the full issue, visit the publications page.