April 22, 2025
Profiting from spring potential
With good potential among winter crops, ProCam agronomists offer guidance for protecting against the prime yield threat – disease.
Most winter wheat crops have established well in his area, says Norfolk and Essex-based Charlie Berridge, but close monitoring for yellow and brown rust will be key.
“With milling wheat varieties like Crusoe and Skyfall on some of my farms, thorough field walking is important,” says Charlie. Close to the East Coast, SY Cheer has also showed signs of yellow rust infection, he notes.
Charlie Berridge continues: “Accurate fungicide spray timings are vital for yield protection, and correct intervals between applications must be maintained.
“Crusoe suffered badly from brown rust last spring, so while I’m not finding brown rust to date, choosing a fungicide strategy with brown rust strength will be carefully considered to ensure the disease is kept out.”
In winter barley, Charlie says early nutrition and a low rate of trinexapac has already been applied to encourage root strength and boost tiller numbers. “Netblotch can be found, with low levels of rust in some forward crops. Resistance management will be a key consideration when targeting the net blotch, and strobilurins will be needed to complement prothioconazole,” he adds.
Rusts are key considerations among milling wheats in his area, says East Anglia’s Charlie Berridge.
NORTH
Yorkshire agronomist Alex Green reports plenty of Septoria in crop bases after the kind winter.
“It’s been possible to find a fair bit of Septoria in early-drilled wheat,” says Alex. “So it’ll be important to keep sensible intervals between fungicides; we haven’t got the luxury of highly-curative fungicides.
“Including multi-site fungicides in programmes will also be important – for resistance management plus there’s good yield data on folpet and sulphur.
“We’ve seen some bits of yellow rust in winter wheats. So inspect varieties and build fungicide responses accordingly. If rust isn’t controlled early, it’s a struggle later. Several varieties also have fairly low brown rust resistance, such as Champion and Beowulf.”
Alex says winter barley is looking particularly well, although the cool, wet winter has meant net blotch and Rhynchosporium have been easy to find. “There’s been less brown rust but check susceptible varieties, especially forward crops.
“Winter oilseed rape (WOSR) crops also look some of the best I’ve seen, with massive potential. Most crops had light leaf spot and phoma sprays in autumn. Next to decide will be whether they need one or two Sclerotinia sprays, depending on the length of flowering. WOSR still has the potential to yield over 5t/ha.”
Wet weather diseases made an early appearance in early-drilled wheat and in winter barley, says Yorkshire-based Alex Green, so don’t let them get out of hand.
WEST
Nick Duggan, who operates in Herefordshire, South Shropshire, Powys and the Cotswolds, says most of his winter wheat also looks promising, although Septoria in crop bases will need halting before it reaches higher leaves.
“Quite rightly, a lot of attention is focused on the flag leaf,” says Nick, “but if you can stop disease climbing upwards by keeping leaf three clean at T1, you’re ahead of the curve. Plus, leaf three contributes to yield.
“Another lesson last season was how quickly yellow rust came in later, so don’t discount rust.
“Meanwhile, Ramularia was a problem last season in barley. T1 is the most important fungicide timing in winter barley, but don’t neglect T2, especially if Ramularia is a risk. I also prefer two sprays in spring barley, especially if there’s Ramularia. Also, good foliar nutrition to reduce crop stress against Ramularia. Because spring barley grows so quickly, T2 growth regulation is also important,” Nick adds.
With many farmers growing maize instead of WOSR in his area, Nick Duggan says he will also be trying the nitrogen-fixing bacterial treatment, Encera, to help maximise maize potential.
SOUTH
Operating in Dorset, Wiltshire and Somerset, James Lewis has also found forward wheat carrying plenty of Septoria, while later-drilled crops will be more susceptible to yellow rust and mildew, depending on variety, and brown rust cannot be ruled out.
“Where yellow rust is the predominant concern, consider a Solatenol-based T1 treatment,” says James. “Against brown rust, look to add pyraclostrobin or azoxystrobin to something like fenpicoxamid at T1. Save Adepidyn for T2 where crops are worth investing in.
“Fusarium foot rot, eyespot and take-all, are all part of the stem base disease complex, and all three caused problems last season, so are something I’m really aware of in second wheats. Take-all should be dealt with at T0. For eyespot, I’m looking at something prothioconazole-based.”
In winter barley, Rhynchosporium and net blotch followed by brown rust and mildew are James’ prime concerns, although most crops have been relatively clean. “Ramularia mainly appears in droughted or nutrient-stressed winter and spring barley. So if you get good nutrition into the crop, that can help.
“With spring barley, fungicide spend can be tailored. However, farm-saved seed without a seed treatment can be a source of net blotch, making it important to not cut foliar fungicide rates.
“Soil sampling suggests soil mineral N levels are low, so N rates might need raising, and consider Zodiac biostimulant to boost rooting to capture the soil N that is there.
“In dry seasons, spring barley planted after a cover crop destroyed too late can also produce terrible yields as soil microbes use the soil N to break down the organic matter. So a bit more N might be needed here as well.”
Farm-saved spring barley seed without a seed treatment can be a source of net blotch, says James Lewis, making it important to not cut foliar fungicide rates.
SCOTLAND
The dry winter means wheat only has fairly low level Septoria, despite early drilling, says agronomist Tom Mutter, who works from Robertson Crop Services’ Cuminestown depot.
But with around half of winter wheat fields in Skyscraper in parts of the region, it is important not to be complacent with S. tritici fungicides or spray timings, he stresses.
“Because crops are forward, the temptation is to apply the T1 spray too early, but that only lengthens the interval to the flag leaf fungicide. This allows Septoria to take hold on leaf two, which itself contributes quite a lot to yield.
“Correct T3 timing is also critical because of the length of time between T3 and harvest. We’ve had experience of losing 2.5t/ha in yield if T3 was delayed. Aim for just as the anthers are showing, but before flowering is complete.”
In winter barley, Tom says although Rhynchosporium is the biggest yield robber, there are plenty of fungicide options against this and net blotch, whereas targeting Ramularia mainly comes down to a suitable multi-site plus either Revysol or Adepidyn. “The multi-site is for resistance management but also extra performance,” he explains.
“Ramularia appearance is triggered by stress, so steps to reduce this. In spring barley, consider Zodiac biostimulant to help optimise tiller numbers and de-stress the plant.
“With WOSR, it is important to consider the sclerotinia risk. Our protracted flowering period creates a long infection window and a requirement for two protectant fungicide applications in order to cover the whole flowering window. It is important to rotate modes of action however and avoid over-reliance on the same chemistry through the whole season. For example where prothioconazole has been used against light leaf spot, SDHI and strobilurin combinations can be very effective – and also provide physiological benefits including greening.”
