October 31, 2025
Customise Fungicide Plans to Keep Crops in the Black
With grain prices under pressure and another challenging harvest behind us, it’s easy to see why some growers might consider cutting back on crop protection inputs next season. But new ProCam data from 2025 trials suggests that a carefully tailored fungicide plan can still deliver a strong return on investment – even in a low-disease year.
As part of its ongoing wheat variety screening programme, ProCam has been exploring how to balance disease control with economic efficiency. Alongside untreated and AHDB Recommended List (RL)-protocol treated plots, agronomists have trialled a series of customised fungicide programmes designed around each variety’s specific disease resistance profile.
“Our aim is to mirror real-world farm conditions,” explains ProCam’s Rob Adamson. “The RL system applies full-rate fungicides with zero disease tolerance, sometimes even adding a T1.5 spray to maximise performance. That’s useful for testing absolute yield potential – but it’s not realistic on most farms.”
According to Rob, the 2025 RL fungicide protocol would equate to around £200/ha – a level of spend that doesn’t make sense for every variety or season. “Our work is focused on identifying sustainable, cost-effective regimes that protect yield without overspending.”
Finding the Sweet Spot
While yield remains the goal, Rob warns that the law of diminishing returns applies to fungicides just as it does to fertilisers and herbicides.
“There’s a point where extra spend no longer pays for itself,” he says. “We’re identifying where that tipping point lies so we can make agronomically sound, financially sensible recommendations – especially for newer varieties that farmers haven’t yet seen perform on their own ground.”
The trials also highlighted the importance of keeping fungicide plans flexible and responsive to shifting disease pressures. For instance, the breakdown of the YR15 gene in 2025 left some previously robust varieties, such as Champion, more vulnerable to yellow rust than expected.
“We saw at our Cawood site that a programme which looked right in February needed adjusting by April,” Rob notes. “That’s why ongoing monitoring and adaptive advice are key to maintaining protection.”
Proof of Concept
Early results from 2025 confirmed a clear yield response to fungicide inputs even under low disease pressure. While bespoke, variety-specific programmes might not eliminate disease as completely as the full RL protocol, they consistently offered better cost-effectiveness and stronger returns.
“On average, the RL-style blanket approach cost about £50/ha more without delivering enough yield gain to cover that extra spend,” Rob explains. “The tailored approach delivered more profit per hectare – and that’s what really matters.”
Looking Ahead
For 2026, ProCam plans to extend these trials across all three of its variety demonstration hubs, giving an even broader picture of how local conditions affect fungicide performance and disease dynamics.
“By comparing results across sites and seasons, we’ll be able to refine our advice even further,” says Rob. “Even if next year brings another dry spring, the amount of inoculum around and earlier drilling dates mean there’ll still be valuable lessons to learn.”
Takeaway for Growers
The message is clear: don’t cut back blindly.
Instead, invest wisely in a variety-led, flexible fungicide programme that reflects both the disease pressure and economic realities on your farm.
Speak to your local ProCam agronomist to discuss the most cost-effective fungicide strategy for your 2026 wheat crop.
